Progress Towards Few-Body Measurements in Microgravity

In this poster, we discuss progress towards the measurement of Efimov physics using NASA's Cold Atom Lab (CAL), a quantum gas experiment installed onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Efimov physics predicts the appearance of an infinite series of cascading few-body bound states (e.g., trimers and tetramers) in the vicinity of a Feshbach resonance, where the energy levels of these states are separated by a universal scaling constant. However, due to the large sizes and weak binding energies of these fragile states, measuring beyond the lowest lying state has proven difficult, requiring systems capable of generating ultra-dilute and ultra-cold quantum gases. CAL is well suited for such measurements. Built and operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL, Pasadena), CAL is a unique quantum gas user facility dedicated to the creation and manipulation of ultracold atoms aboard the ISS. In the continuous presence of microgravity, CAL is able to relax magnetic trapping parameters far beyond what is possible in ground-based studies, allowing atoms to enter the extremely cold and dilute regime needed to probe Efimov physics. Here, we will present our current progress towards state preparation of potassium-39 atoms needed to begin measurements of Efimov physics and theoretical simulations. Future measurements in this project will provide essential benchmark data for refining existing theoretical model calculations and elucidate complex topics in quantum few-body dynamics.