Lezeik, Ali — VLBAI : Testing Fundamental Physics

The universality of free fall or Einstein’s equivalence principle (EEP) remains valid despite attempts to find deviations away from it. It is expected through certain theories, that quantum mechanics and general relativity can be reconciled, breaking EEP. The VLBAI presents a state-of-the-art experiment to push the current limits using matter-wave interferometry. Dropping atoms through a 10-m Mach-Zehnder type interferometer, the VLBAI attempts to measure the gravitational time dilation of the delocalized quantum superpositions induced throughout the flight time. This will further push investigations of the EEP into the quantum regime.