Research Areas - (2) AION Sr Atom Interferometry (Imperial/Lead)

Full path: Physics > AMO Physics > Atomic Interferometry > AION Sr Atom Interferometry (Imperial/Lead)

Oliver Buchmueller 🔗
Imperial College London 🔗
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Department(s)/lab(s): Physics – Particle Physics Group | AION Sr Atom Interferometry Lab (Buchmueller) @ Imperial
Summary:

Buchmueller is the lead PI of the AION consortium (~£10M funded by UKRI/STFC), leading Imperial's ultracold strontium lab developing single-photon large-momentum-transfer atom interferometry on the Sr clock transition. Key achievements: prototype Sr differential atom interferometer operating at the Standard Quantum Limit with laser noise rejection demonstrated (arXiv 2504.09158, Apr 2025); AION-10 technical design report published (Aug 2025). Buchmueller also leads the AEDGE space mission concept for the European Space Agency, seeking to deploy a km-scale Sr atom interferometer in space for dark matter and mid-frequency gravitational wave detection. Deeply involved in MAGIS-100 partnership (Fermilab) and Cold Atoms in Space community building with 130+ proponents. Active in CMS Collaboration at CERN.

Richard Hobson 🔗
Imperial College London 🔗
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Department(s)/lab(s): Physics | Ultracold Strontium Laboratory (AION) @ Imperial
Summary:

Hobson co-leads the Ultracold Strontium Laboratory within the AION atom-interferometer collaboration, developing squeezed strontium atomic ensembles and quantum-non-demolition measurement techniques to beat the standard quantum limit in long-baseline atom-interferometric searches for dark matter and gravitational waves, alongside a parallel programme on ultra-precise, shock-resistant optical clocks. Actively recruiting postdocs as the group builds out its cold-atom laboratories.