CubeSat Magnetometer

Sensitive magnetometers play a key role in exploring the near-Earth environment, other planets and moons. Measurements using a constellation of spacecraft can provide a rich data set, but this approach requires magnetometers that have stable calibration as well as low size, weight and power. This proposal will develop an all-optical atomic magnetometer whose calibration can be traced to quantum properties of the atoms. It has already demonstrated high sensitivity in the laboratory. The Phase I work will show that it can be flown on a CubeSat by demonstrating that the form factor, weight, and electrical power can be made compatible with requirements for microsatellites. In Phase II we plan to build a version that could fly on balloons or aircraft.