Abstract

Atomic clocks with cold atoms play important roles in the field of fundamental physics as well as primary frequency standards. Operating such cold atom clocks in space paves the way for further exploration in fundamental physics, for example dark matter and general relativity. We developed a space cold atom clock (SCAC), which was launched into orbit with the Space Lab TG-2 in 2016. Before it deorbited with TG-2 in 2019, the SCAC had been working continuously for almost 3 years. During the period in orbit, many scientific experiments and engineering tests were performed. In this article, we summarize the principle, development and in-orbit results. These works provide the basis for construction of a space-borne time-frequency system in deep space.

中文翻译：

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空间冷原子钟的研制

摘要

具有冷原子的原子钟在基础物理领域以及主要频率标准中发挥着重要作用。在太空中操作这种冷原子钟为进一步探索基础物理学铺平了道路，例如暗物质和广义相对论。我们开发了空间冷原子钟（SCAC），于2016年与空间实验室TG-2一起发射入轨。在2019年与TG-2一起离轨之前，SCAC已经连续工作了近3年。在轨期间，进行了许多科学实验和工程试验。在本文中，我们总结了其原理、发展和在轨成果。这些工作为构建深空星载时频系统提供了基础。