Fundamental Physics in Space with Quantum Sensors

Workshop overview and goals:

The space environment has long offered unique conditions and opportunities to explore fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model with quantum sensors, dating back to Gravity Probe A in 1976. The current coming of age of quantum technology has yielded new types of quantum sensors with orders of magnitude improved precision including atomic clocks with fractional precision and accuracy below 10-18  and atom interferometers targeting equivalence principle test precision below 10-17 . These sensors have the potential to make breakthrough discoveries about the nature of gravity, dark matter, and dark energy, explore quantum mechanics in new regimes enabled by microgravity, and perform gravitational wave astronomy. 

The goal of this workshop is to bring together the fundamental physics, quantum sensor, and space instrument communities in order to brainstorm ideas for space missions with quantum sensors that can shed light on fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model. 

Confirmed invited speakers:

• Dan Blumenthal (University of California Santa Barbara)

• Emily Caldwell (NIST Boulder)

• Andrei Derevianko (University of Nevada Reno)

• Naceur Gaaloul (Leibniz University of Hanover)

• Hidetoshi Katori (University of Tokyo & RIKEN)

• Igor Pikovski (Stevens Institute of Technology)

• Marianna Safronova (University of Delaware)

Dates:

 This workshop will begin with an evening reception on Sunday, February 22, 2026 and run through lunchtime on Friday, February 27, 2026.  The scientific sessions will begin on Monday February 23, 2026. 

Location:

Aspen Center for Physics located at 700 W Gillespie Street, Aspen, Colorado, USA. 

Logistics: 

Please see here for information on travel/visas, lodging, registration, and local activities (e.g. skiing).