Quantum Sensors for Geodetical Observations and Relativistic Geodesy – QuantumFrontiers

Develop and test quantum gravimeters and transportable optical clocks and demonstrate their benefit for Geodesy.

Contributions to QuantumFrontiers

This TopicalGroup is a joint TopicalGroup with the CRC TerraQ.

Relativistic geodesy with clocks
- Development and tests of transportable optical clocks to an uncertainty of few 10^-18
- Chronometric levelling with cm resolution using transportable optical clocks
- Improvement of height networks with this novel method
- Simulation of typical application scenarios in Geodesy
Quantum gravimetry
- Development and tests stationary and transportable quantum gravimeters
- Measurements of gravity with unprecedented uncertainty of a few nm/s²
- Contributions to geodetic observation campaigns
- Data analysis and gravity field models

Collaborative Innovation

Realizing quantum gravimetry for geodetic applications (Waldemar Herr, DLR-SI / Dennis Schlippert, LUH / Ernst Rasel, LUH / Jürgen Müller, LUH)
Establishing chronometric levelling with cm resolution as a routine tool for determining physical heights (Piet Schmidt, PTB / Christian Lisdat, PTB / Jürgen Müller, LUH)
Implementing a relativistic description of geodetic quantities (Claus Lämmerzahl, ZARM / Jürgen Müller, LUH)
Exchanging on common technologies and transferring lab-based link performance to robust in-field systems (LUH, DLR-SI and PTB)

Scientific Output

Publications

Heine H, Arnold AS, Le Gonidec M, Griffin PF, Riis E, Herr W et al. A compact high-flux grating chip cold atom source. New Journal of Physics. 2025 Mar 14;27(3):033019. doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/adbc14

Romeshkani M, Müller J, Ebadi S, Knabe A, Schilling M. Accelerometer data transplant for future satellite gravimetry. Earth and Space Science (ESS). 2025 Dec 31;13(1):e2025EA004417. doi: 10.1029/2025EA004417, 10.22541/essoar.174585025.56008616/v1

Grotti J, Nosske I, Koller SB, Herbers S, Denker H, Timmen L et al. Long-distance chronometric leveling with a portable optical clock. Physical review applied. 2024 Jun 3;21(6):L061001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.21.L061001

Herbst A, Estrampes T, Albers H, Vollenkemper V, Stolzenberg K, Bode S et al. High-flux source system for matter-wave interferometry exploiting tunable interactions. Physical Review Research. 2024 Feb 2;6(1):013139. doi: 10.1103/physrevresearch.6.013139

Lämmerzahl C, Perlick V. Potentials for general-relativistic geodesy. Physical Review D. 2024 Feb 14;109(4):044028. doi: 10.1103/physrevd.109.044028

Voigt C, Sulzbach R, Dobslaw H, Weise A, Timmen L, Deng Z et al. Non-tidal ocean loading signals of the North and Baltic Sea from terrestrial gravimetry, GNSS, and high-resolution modeling. Geophysical Research Letters. 2024 Jul 4;51(13):e2024GL109262. doi: 10.22541/essoar.171136797.71160253/v1, 10.1029/2024GL109262

Albers H, Corgier R, Herbst A, Rajagopalan A, Schubert C, Vogt C et al. All-optical matter-wave lens using time-averaged potentials. Communications Physics. 2022 Mar 16;5(1):60. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2109.08608, 10.1038/s42005-022-00825-2

Belenchia A, Carlesso M, Bayraktar Ö, Dequal D, Derkach I, Gasbarri G et al. Quantum physics in space. Physics reports. 2022 Mar 11;951:1-70. Epub 2022 Jan 6. doi: 10.1016/j.physrep.2021.11.004

Herbers S, Häfner S, Dörscher S, Lücke T, Sterr U, Lisdat C. Transportable clock laser system with an instability of 1.6 × 10^-16. Optics letters. 2022 Oct 15;47(20):5441-5444. doi: 10.1364/OL.470984

Herbst A, Albers H, Stolzenberg K, Bode S, Schlippert D. Rapid generation of all-optical K39 Bose-Einstein condensates using a low-field Feshbach resonance. Physical Review A. 2022 Oct 21;106(4):043320. doi: 10.1103/physreva.106.043320

Deppner C, Herr W, Cornelius M, Stromberger P, Sternke T, Grzeschik C et al. Collective-Mode Enhanced Matter-Wave Optics. Physical review letters. 2021 Sept 3;127(10):100401. Epub 2021 Aug 30. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.100401

Gebbe M, Siemß JN, Gersemann M, Müntinga H, Herrmann S, Lämmerzahl C et al. Twin-lattice atom interferometry. Nature Communications. 2021 May 5;12(1):2544. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22823-8

Hensel T, Loriani S, Schubert C, Fitzek F, Abend S, Ahlers H et al. Inertial sensing with quantum gases: a comparative performance study of condensed versus thermal sources for atom interferometry. European Physical Journal D. 2021 Mar 22;75:108. doi: 10.1140/epjd/s10053-021-00069-9, 10.48550/arXiv.2009.03635

Lachmann MD, Ahlers H, Becker D, Dinkelaker AN, Grosse J, Hellmig O et al. Ultracold atom interferometry in space. Nature Communications. 2021 Dec;12(1):1317. Epub 2021 Feb 26. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21628-z

Merlet S, Gillot P, Cheng B, Karcher R, Imanaliev A, Timmen L et al. Calibration of a superconducting gravimeter with an absolute atom gravimeter. Journal of geodesy. 2021 May 10;95(5):62. doi: 10.1007/s00190-021-01516-6

Schubert C, Abend S, Gersemann M, Gebbe M, Schlippert D, Berg P et al. Multi-loop atomic Sagnac interferometry. Scientific Reports. 2021 Dec;11(1):16121. Epub 2021 Aug 9. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-95334-7

Timmen L, Gerlach C, Rehm T, Völksen C, Voigt C. Geodetic-Gravimetric Monitoring of Mountain Uplift and Hydrological Variations at Zugspitze and Wank Mountains (Bavarian Alps, Germany). Remote sensing. 2021 Mar 1;13(5):918. doi: 10.3390/rs13050918

Zhong L, Sośnica K, Weigelt M, Liu B, Zou X. Time-Variable Gravity Field from the Combination of HLSST and SLR. Remote sensing. 2021 Sept 2;13(17):3491. doi: 10.3390/rs13173491

Fitzek F, Siemß JN, Seckmeyer S, Ahlers H, Rasel EM, Hammerer K et al. Universal atom interferometer simulation of elastic scattering processes. Scientific Reports. 2020 Dec 17;10(1):22120. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78859-1, 10.15488/10752

Gersemann M, Gebbe M, Abend S, Schubert C, Rasel EM. Differential interferometry using a Bose-Einstein condensate. European Physical Journal D. 2020 Oct 1;74(10):203. doi: 10.1140/epjd/e2020-10417-8

Häfner S, Herbers S, Vogt S, Lisdat C, Sterr U. Transportable interrogation laser system with an instability of mod σ_y = 3 × 10⁻¹⁶. Optics express. 2020 May 25;28(11):16407-16416. doi: 10.1364/OE.390105

Hartmann S, Jenewein J, Giese E, Abend S, Roura A, Rasel EM et al. Regimes of atomic diffraction: Raman versus bragg diffraction in retroreflective geometries. Physical Review A. 2020 May 8;101(5):053610. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.101.053610

Heine N, Matthias J, Sahelgozin M, Herr W, Abend S, Timmen L et al. A transportable quantum gravimeter employing delta-kick collimated Bose–Einstein condensates. European Physical Journal D. 2020 Aug 25;74(8):174. doi: 10.1140/epjd/e2020-10120-x, 10.15488/10683

Heinze J, Vahlbruch H, Willke B. Frequency-doubling of continuous laser light in Laguerre–Gaussian modes LG_0,0 and LG_3,3. Optics letters. 2020 Sept 15;45(18):5262-5265. Epub 2020 Aug 12. doi: 10.1364/OL.402371, 10.1364/OL.410805

Müller J, Wu H. Using quantum optical sensors for determining the Earth’s gravity field from space. Journal of geodesy. 2020 Jul 24;94(8):71. doi: 10.1007/s00190-020-01401-8, 10.15488/10716

Philipp D, Hackmann E, Lämmerzahl C, Müller J. Relativistic geoid: Gravity potential and relativistic effects. Physical Review D. 2020 Mar 17;101(6):064032. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevD.101.064032

Richardson LL, Nath D, Rajagopalan A, Albers H, Meiners C, Schubert C et al. Opto-mechanical resonator-enhanced atom interferometry. Communications Physics. 2020 Nov 13;3(1):208. doi: 10.1038/s42005-020-00473-4

Schilling M, Wodey É, Timmen L, Tell D, Zipfel KH, Schlippert D et al. Gravity field modelling for the Hannover 10 m atom interferometer. Journal of Geodesy. 2020 Nov 27;94(12):122. doi: 10.1007/s00190-020-01451-y, 10.15488/10717

Timmen L, Rothleitner C, Reich M, Schröder S, Cieslack M. Investigation of Scintrex CG-6 Gravimeters in the Gravity Meter Calibration System Hannover. AVN Allgemeine Vermessungs-Nachrichten. 2020;127(4):155-162.

Weise A, Timmen L, Deng Z, Gabriel G, Rothleitner C, Schilling M et al. Observing ocean mass variability with spring gravimeters: Storm surge induced signals on the north sea island helgoland. AVN Allgemeine Vermessungs-Nachrichten. 2020;127(4):163-173.

Wu H, Müller J. Towards an International Height Reference Frame Using Clock Networks. 2020. doi: 10.1007/1345_2020_97, 10.15488/14073

Herbers S, Dörscher S, Benkler E, Lisdat C. Phase noise of frequency doublers in optical clock lasers. Optics express. 2019;27(16):23262-23273. doi: 10.1364/OE.27.023262

Trimeche A, Battelier B, Becker D, Bertoldi A, Bouyer P, Braxmaier C et al. Concept study and preliminary design of a cold atom interferometer for space gravity gradiometry. Classical and quantum gravity. 2019 Nov;36(21):215004. Epub 2019 Oct 10. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.1903.09828, 10.1088/1361-6382/ab4548

Wu H, Müller J, Lämmerzahl C. Clock networks for height system unification: A simulation study. Geophysical journal international. 2018 Nov 28;216(3):1594-1607. doi: 10.1093/gji/ggy508

TG Members

Involved Members and their Relevant Expertise

Members	Institution	Relevant Expertise
Dennis Schlippert, Leader	LUH	Quantum Navigation, Very-long baseline atom interferometry
Waldemar Herr	DLR-SI / LUH	Atom-Chip Based Gravimeters and Inertial Sensors; Transportable quantum gravimeter for absolute gravity surveys
Ernst M. Rasel	LUH	Quantum Gravimeters; Atom-Chip Based Gravimeters and Inertial Sensors; Transportable quantum gravimeter for absolute gravity surveys
Jürgen Müller	LUH	Relativistic Geodesy; LLR Relativity Test; Application of Quantum Gravimetry; Geoid and height determination; expertise in satellite and terrestrial gravimetry, modelling and analysis of gravity field data, and gravimetric monitoring of mass change processes
Ludger Timmen	LUH	Geodesy with Gravimeters; Geoid and height determination; expertise in satellite and terrestrial gravimetry, modelling and analysis of gravity field data, and gravimetric monitoring of mass change processes
Christian Lisdat	PTB	Sr Optical Lattice Clock; Transportable optical lattice clocks for chronometric levelling campaigns
Piet O. Schmidt	PTB / LUH	Quantum Logic Spectroscopy of Highly Charged Ions; Transportable Al+ clock for chronometric levelling campaigns
Heiner Denker	LUH	Gravity field modelling, geoid, height systems, chronometric levelling; Geoid and height determination; expertise in satellite and terrestrial gravimetry, modelling and analysis of gravity field data, and gravimetric monitoring of mass change processes
Matthias Weigelt	LUH	Satellite Gravimetry, Loading, deformation, gravity field, local modelling; Geoid and height determination; expertise in satellite and terrestrial gravimetry, modelling and analysis of gravity field data, and gravimetric monitoring of mass change processes
Christian Schubert	DLR-SI / LUH	Atom-Chip Based Gravimeters and Inertial Sensors
Nina Heine	LUH	Quantum Gravimetry
Sven Abend	LUH	Atom-chip based interferometry and inertial sensors for navigation
Hendrik Heine	LUH	Atom Chip and Grating MOTs
Claus Lämmerzahl	ZARM	General Relativity; Theoretical framework of relativistic geodesy, definition of observables and measurements
Dennis Philipp	ZARM	Relativistic Geodesy, formalism, framework, theory
Ingo Noßke	PTB	Sr Optical Lattice Clock
Manuel Schilling	DLR-SI	Absolute and relative gravimetry, gravity field modelling
Tim Lücke	PTB	Sr Optical Lattice Clock
Julian Lemburg	LUH	Atom Chip and Grating MOTs
Pablo Nunez von Voigt	LUH	Quantum Gravimetry
Ahmed Elmaghraby	LUH	Interferometric fibre links
Kai Grensemann	LUH

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