High data-rate atom interferometers through high recapture efficiency
| DWPI Title: Inertial sensing system for use on e.g. airplane for seismic study, has magnetic circuit for applying magnetic bias field within interaction volume to tune atomic states away from resonance during interferometric interrogation |
| Abstract: An inertial sensing system includes a magneto-optical trap (MOT) that traps atoms within a specified trapping region. The system also includes a cooling laser that cools the trapped atoms so that the atoms remain within the specified region for a specified amount of time. The system further includes a light-pulse atom interferometer (LPAI) that performs an interferometric interrogation of the atoms to determine phase changes in the atoms. The system includes a controller that controls the timing of MOT and cooling laser operations, and controls the timing of interferometric operations to substantially recapture the atoms in the specified trapping region. The system includes a processor that determines the amount inertial movement of the inertial sensing system based on the determined phase changes in the atoms. Also, a method of inertial sensing using this inertial sensing system includes recapture of atoms within the MOT following interferometric interrogation by the LPAI. |
| Use: Inertial sensing system for use on a car and an airplane for seismic study and inertial navigation applications. Can also be used for gravimeter survey applications and fundamental physics testing applications. |
| Advantage: The system enables high inertial sensing rates to allow the system to provide inputs for navigation systems and seismic monitoring systems, which require high sensitivity. The system defines small displacement to allow interferometer atoms to be recaptured with high efficiency and drastically reduce measurement dead time associated with replenishing trap atoms. The system provides higher rates with shorter TOFs leading to even smaller displacement from a trap center, thus increasing recapture efficiency, while providing highly precise and highly accurate inertial movements. |
| Novelty: The system (100) has a processor (125) for determining amount of inertial movement (126) of the system based on determined phase changes in atoms. A laser distributes the atoms within interaction volume between participant atoms excited to an atomic state that participates in a light-pulse atom interferometer (120) and spectator atoms excited to an atomic state that does not participate in the interferometer. A magnetic circuit applies a magnetic bias field within the interaction volume that is effective to tune spectator atomic states away from resonance during interferometric interrogation. |
| Filed: 8/22/2012 |
| Application Number: US13592029A |
| Tech ID: SD 12099.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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