Dan-Fang Zhang, Jing-Ting Li, Wen-Zhang Wang, Wei-Hao Xu, Jia-Yi Wei, Xiao Li, Yi-Bo Wang, Dong-Feng Gao, Jia-Qi Zhong, Biao Tang, Lin Zhou, Run-Bing Li, Huan-Yao Sun, Qun-Feng Chen, Lei Qin, Mei-Zhen An, Zong-Feng Li, Shu-Quan Wang, Xiao-Xiao Guo, Yao Tian, Xi-He Yu, Hong-En Zhong, Xi Chen, Jin Wang, Ming-Sheng Zhan
The weak equivalence principle (WEP) is a central pillar of general relativity. Its precise test with quantum systems in space offers a unique window onto new physics. Here, we report an in-orbit quantum test of the WEP. A dual-species (85Rb/87Rb) atom interferometer is realized aboard the China Space Station. Methods of platform motion suppression, fluorescence detection switching, and two-photon detuning switching are developed to eliminate phase noise and improve measurement accuracy. A test uncertainty of 2.8 × 10-8 is obtained from 280 days of WEP test data, and a test result of (-2.7 ± 4.7) × 10-7 is achieved after error estimation. This improves prior atom-interferometric WEP tests in microgravity by three orders of magnitude. This work paves the way for space-borne quantum inertial sensors and their application to future fundamental physics in space.