iSense: a portable Ultracold-Atom-Based gravimeter

We present iSense, a recently initiated FET project aiming to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to develop a platform for portable quantum sensors based on cold atoms. The long-term vision of iSense is a modular, scalable and portable quantum technology family based on the confinement of cold atoms using an optical lattice, adaptable to a wide variety of applications in diverse working environments. Today's sensors are almost entirely based on classical working principles, e.g. falling corner cubes for gravity mea- surements. Although hard to beat in terms of cost-benefit for standard applications, for step changes in precision these devices become impractical due to rapidly increasing requirements on material and manufacturing tolerances. In this realm quantum sensors based on atoms as probes are a superior choice, as the fundamental physical properties of the atoms themselves ensure reproducibility and consistency. This project tackles fundamental barriers by simultaneously targeting two breakthroughs, one scientific and one technological. Scientifically it seeks to demonstrate novel schemes for guided precision sensors using optical lattices or quantum levitation, which would allow significant reductions in size of the vacuum system and remove precision limitations due to finite free fall periods. Technologically it utilises state-of-the-art methods of the information and communication sector, where integrated optics is enabling ubiquitous high-speed internet and communications infrastructure. Transferring ICT has the potential to reduce the form factor of atom-based quantum sensors by at least an order of magnitude which would enable a step change towards commercial applications. Overall, this project aims at a general technology platform proven by the demonstration of a self-contained backpack- size, "turn-key" force sensor (gravimeter) based on atom interferometry. This would be the first in a line progressing from sensors to quantum computation, the latter being enabled by precision control of the optical lattice environment and control beams resulting from the transfer of ICT to this systems concept.