Successful PhD Defense by Marian Woltmann

Marian Woltmann joined ZARM in 2017. Working in the PRIMUS project he took on the very challenging task of developing a new method of producing ultra-cold Rubidium atoms for experiments in microgravity.

Differing from previous work in the Drop Tower, he managed to trap and cool atoms in a strongly focused laser beam, rather than a magnetic field, which provides several advantages but also comes with many technical challenges. His work now shows how these can be overcome and that laser and efficient all-optical evaporation cooling within the tight requirements of a drop capsule is feasible. At temperatures of less than micro-Kelvin the quantum behaviour of these atoms becomes evident, and even enters into a new state of matter, a so called Bose Einstein condensate. Marian succeeded to cool the atoms down to this special regime and characterize the condensate's properties in his setup.  This ultimately lays the foundation for space-based applications such as future quantum communication via satellites or quantum sensing in Earth observation missions. Thanks to Marian's work the group could now start a next project in collaboration with Humbolt University Berlin, during which they plan to do the first demonstration of a quantum memory in microgravity based on a Bose-Einstein condensate.

Sven Herrmann, head of the research group Quantum Optics and Experimental Gravitation, has nothing but praise for Marian: “Marian really had his work cut out for him here. But I’m very happy and grateful that we found in him exactly the person this project needed: someone with admirable practical intelligence who finds solutions – often unconventional ones – to every problem. And above all, someone who doesn’t lose his optimism in the face of tasks that often seem impossible. He is irreplaceable for the team, both personally and professionally. That’s why we’re very happy that he’s staying at ZARM and will pass on his valuable knowledge to the next generation.”