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arXiv:1812.01028 · Review of Scientific Instruments

Embedded control system for mobile atom interferometers

Bola S. Malek, Zachary Pagel, Xiaojing Wu, Holger Müller

Published Jul 1, 2019• 18 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Atom interferometers require precise control of digital, analog, and radio frequency signals for effective operation. In this paper, we propose and implement a control system for mobile atom interferometers. The system consists of a microcontroller and peripherals to synthesize radio frequency signals and to read or write analog signals. We use the system to operate a mobile atomic gravimeter by controlling 7 analog outputs, 16 digital outputs, 2 radio frequency channels, and 1 analog input. Our control system eliminates dead time between repetitions of the measurement and, consequently, improves the sampling rate of our atomic gravimeter, while maintaining the sensitivity per repetition compared to the system based on a desktop computer.

DOI
10.1063/1.5083981

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Atom interferometers require precise control of digital, analog, and radio frequency signals for effective operation. In this paper, we propose and implement a control system for mobile atom interferometers. The system consists of a microcontroller and peripherals to synthesize radio frequency signals and to read or write analog signals. We use the system to operate a mobile atomic gravimeter by controlling 7 analog outputs, 16 digital outputs, 2 radio frequency channels, and 1 analog input. Our control system eliminates dead time between repetitions of the measurement and, consequently, improves the sampling rate of our atomic gravimeter, while maintaining the sensitivity per repetition compared to the system based on a desktop computer.
A compact laser system for a portable 87Rb atom interferometry gravimeter has been demonstrated in this work. This laser system is based on frequency doubling of a single seed laser at the wavelength of 1560 nm. The frequency of the seed laser is controlled by a digital unit with an analog feedback circuit. By using this frequency control method, the frequency of the laser system can be shifted over 1 GHz. Based on this method, the Raman frequency can be locked on the F = 3 → F′ = 4 transition of 85Rb atoms. Moreover, the Raman sideband and the repumping laser are generated by a phase modulator, and it can generate different laser frequencies to meet the requirements of a typical atom interferometer. Additional sidebands in the Raman beam produced from the phase modulator are optimized and reduced, allowing us to observe atom interference with a free evolution time of 320 ms. The control unit including the laser system has been integrated into a box with a volume of 1.5 m × 0.6 m × 0.6 m, and the weight of which is only 150 kg. Using this compact optical scheme, our atomic gravimeter has achieved a sensitivity of 53 μGal/Hz1/2 and a resolution of better than 1 μGal (1 μGal = 1 × 10−8 m/s2) in an integration time of 3000 s.
We present a low-phase-noise microwave control system designed for spatial-domain atom interferometers, featuring the independent outputs of three microwave channels with minimal relative phase noise between them. Utilizing a nonlinear transmission line and single-sideband mixing with a digital signal source, we achieved three channels of 6835 MHz microwave frequency outputs, exhibiting absolute phase noises of −55, −100, and −124 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz, 1 kHz, and 1 MHz frequency offsets, respectively. We measured the relative phase noise between channels for a root mean square value of ∼251 μrad. A servo loop was integrated to stabilize the power ratio between Raman laser frequency components, ensuring long-term elimination of light shifts in the atom interferometer. The waveform parameters of the three microwave outputs can be adjusted independently, allowing for flexible manipulation of the atomic interference phase. These capabilities make the proposed microwave control system highly suitable for precise frequency and phase modulation in atom interferometer-based gyroscopes and accelerometers operating within continuous spatial-domain configurations.
The exquisite precision of atom interferometers has sparked the interest of a large community for uses ranging from fundamental physics to geodesy and inertial navigation. However, their implementation for onboard applications is still limited, not least because rotation and acceleration are intertwined in a single phase shift, which makes the extraction of a useful signal more challenging. Moreover, the spatial separation of the wave packets due to rotations leads to a loss of signal. We present an atom interferometer operating over a large range of random angles, rotation rates and accelerations. A model of the expected phase shift allows us to untangle the rotation and acceleration signals. We also implement a real-time compensation system using fiber-optic gyroscopes and a rotating reference mirror to maintain the full contrast of the interferometer. We demonstrate a single-shot sensitivity to acceleration of 24 μg for rotation rates reaching 14° s−1. Cold atoms inertial sensors offer great precision and sensitivity, yet their use in mobile applications has been hindered by the effects of rotations on their measurements. Here, authors demonstrate an atom interferometer operating over a wide range of orientations and rotation rates, thanks to hybridisation with accelerometers and gyroscopes.
Cold-atom interferometers have matured into a powerful tool for fundamental physics research, and they are currently moving from realizations in the laboratory to applications in the field. A radio frequency (RF) generator is an indispensable component of these devices for controlling lasers and manipulating atoms. In this work, we developed a compact RF generator for fast switching and sweeping the frequencies and amplitudes of atomic-interference pulse sequences. In this generator, multi-channel RF signals are generated using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to control eight direct digital synthesizers (DDSs). We further propose and demonstrate a method for pre-loading the parameters of all the RF pulse sequences to the DDS registers before their execution, which eliminates the need for data transfer between the FPGA and DDSs to change RF signals. This sharply decreases the frequency-switching time when the pulse sequences are running. Performance characterization showed that the generated RF signals achieve a 100 ns frequency-switching time and a 40 dB harmonic-rejection ratio. The generated RF pulse sequences were applied to a cold-atom-interferometer gyroscope, and the contrast of atomic interference fringes was found to reach 38%. This compact multi-channel generator with fast frequency/amplitude switching and/or sweeping capability will be beneficial for applications in field-portable atom interferometers.
Matter-wave interferometry has enabled high precision measurements of inertial forces such as gravity and the Coriolis force. This is facilitated by the long-term stability of the physical properties of atoms and lasers. Recent experiments have demonstrated the operation of portable, robust sensors using atom interferometry. This has potential uses in the context of inertial navigation, where conventional devices suffer from long-term drifts due to bias instability. Furthermore, determining position via dead reckoning requires minimisation of dead time between measurements. This thesis presents the development of an atom interferometer for measuring horizontal accelerations. In this configuration, gravity induces motion across the laser wavefront, which constrains the tolerable level of wavefront distortions. Effective control of the experiment allows the interferometer to be operated at a rate of 4 Hz. A cold ensemble of 10^6 atoms in the same internal state is prepared in 150 ms. The interferometer operates using a sequence of three laser pulses separated by T= 25 ms to achieve sensitivity to horizontal accelerations. Combining this with a classical accelerometer provides a method of correcting for vibration-induced noise, as well as determining the interferometer fringe order. After an integration time of 40 s, the sensitivity to horizontal accelerations is better than 3^-6 m s^-2. Effects which limit this sensitivity are discussed.
Atom interferometers that operate in the spatial domain through continuous measurement of an atomic beam provide benefits in the elimination of sensor dead time and reduced sensitivity to certain noise sources. Further improving its operation, time-domain control of a spatial-domain interferometer can provide necessary methods of error suppression and dynamic range improvement. We model numerically and experimentally demonstrate methods of time-domain control in a 3D-cooled atomic beam interferometer. We demonstrate suppression of magnetic-field-induced phase noise through rapid reversal of the direction of inertial sensitivity at a rate faster than the inverse interrogation time of the interferometer.