Quantum technology and Environmental Physics
Markus Oberthaler (KIP Universität Heidelberg)

The fundamental research of controlled quantum systems has become mature and applications especially in the realm of sensing have been developed. In this colloquium I will discuss the basic tools and techniques in the field of quantum atom optics which allow for the detection of single atoms – one by one. These capabilities allow the implementation of trace analysis at the ultimate quantum level, namely on the single atom level. More specifically I will present our latest results on detecting the rare isotope 39Ar which is a perfect age tracer for oceanography and ground water. With the new capabilities less than 10 liters of water are necessary to give a good estimate for the apparent age of the water sample. As first application we analyzed ocean depth profiles close to Cape Verde and can give new constraints to the transit time distribution by combining the results with other tracer results. This gives a new route to characterizing the ventilation of the ocean. Since the amount of water has become very small, sample taking gets into the regime of being parasitic or better symbiotic to standard sampling campaigns.