Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2311.16557 · IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement

A Continuous Dual-Axis Atomic Interferometric Inertial Sensor

Peiqiang Yan, Weichen Jia, Ke Shen, Yue Xin, Yanying Feng

Published Jan 1, 2025• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present an interferometric inertial sensor that utilizes two counter-propagating atomic beams with transverse two-dimensional cooling. By employing three parallel and spatially aligned Raman laser beams for Doppler-sensitive Raman transitions, we successfully generate inertia-sensitive Mach-Zehnder interference fringes with an interrogation length of 2L = 54 cm. The sensor’s capability to measure rotation and acceleration simultaneously in dynamic environments is validated through comparative analysis with classical sensors under force oscillation in different directions. Additionally, we conduct experiments on a turntable to calibrate the gyroscope’s scaling factor and address nonlinearity. The angular random walk (ARW) and velocity random walk (VRW) of the sensor are 3×10−4 °/√h and 107 μg/√Hz, respectively, with the long-term stability reaching 9 × 10−4 °/h for rotation and 10 μg for acceleration at an integration time of 1000 s.

DOI
10.1109/tim.2025.3644533

Related papers

Closed-loop dual-atom-interferometer inertial sensor with continuous cold atomic beams

Zhi-Xin Meng, Pei-Qiang Yan, Shengzhe Wang +3 more

We demonstrate a closed-loop light-pulse atom-interferometer inertial sensor that can realize continuous decoupled measurements of acceleration and rotation rate. The sensor operates with double-loop atom interferometers, which share the same Raman light pulses in a spatially separated Mach-Zehnder configuration and use continuous cold atomic beams propagating in opposite directions from two ${\text{2D}}^{+}$ magneto-optical trappings. Acceleration and the rotation rate are decoupled and simultaneously measured by the sum and difference of dual-atom-interferometer signals, respectively. The sensitivities of inertial measurements are also increased to be approximately 1.86 times higher than that of a single atom interferometer. The acceleration phase shift is compensated in real time by phase locking these interferometers via the Raman laser phases from the sum-interferometer signal, and the gyroscope performance is improved. We achieve long-term stabilities of $6.1\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{\ensuremath{\mu}}\text{g}$ and 840 nrad/s for the acceleration and the rotation rate, respectively, using a short interrogation time of 0.87 ms (interference area $A=0.097\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\text{mm}}^{2}$). This work provides a building block for an atomic interferometer-based inertial measurement unit for use in field applications that require a high data rate and high stability.

arXiv:2210.15346•Physical Review Applied•Mar 22, 2024•21 citations

A Dual Atomic Interferometric Inertial Sensor Utilizing Transversely Cooled Atomic Beams

Weichen Jia, Peiqiang Yan, Shengzhe Wang +1 more

Light-pulsed atomic interferometers provide a promising quantum-based solution for inertial navigation applications. In this paper, we present an atomic interferometric inertial sensor designed to simultaneously measure rotation rate and acceleration, through continuous sampling using dual87Rb atomic beams as matter-wave sources. We observe Raman-Ramsey and Raman-Mach-Zehnder interferences and validate the inertial sensing capability by comparing the results with a classical quartz accelerometer and an optical-fiber gyroscope. Our work can serve as a foundational element for the development of a fully quantum inertial measurement unit characterized with a high data rate and large bandwidth.

IEEE International Symposium on Inertial Sensors and Systems (INERTIAL)•Mar 25, 2024•0 citations

Closed-loop dual-channel atomic beam interferometry beyond the half-fringe limit

Weichen Jia, Yue Xin, Ke Shen +5 more

Atom interferometric inertial sensors offer exceptional sensitivity but are fundamentally constrained by the periodic phase response of matter-wave interference, which imposes an intrinsic half-fringe dynamic-range limit and prevents continuous inertial tracking. In multi-axis configurations, additional cross coupling between acceleration and rotation further complicates closed-loop operation. Here we demonstrate the first dual-channel closed-loop operation of an atomic beam interferometer, realizing decoupled feedback control of acceleration- and rotation-induced phases and overcoming the half-fringe limitation. Using continuous, transversely cooled $^{87}$Rb atomic beams, the interferometric phases associated with rotation and acceleration are independently extracted, tracked across multiple fringes, and actively compensated through Raman frequency modulation. This closed-loop scheme enables unambiguous measurements up to $\pm1\,\mathrm{^{\circ}/s}$ in rotation and $\pm0.17\,\mathrm{g}$ in acceleration while maintaining high fringe contrast, corresponding to nearly two orders-of-magnitude extension beyond the conventional half-fringe limit. The sensor achieves a long-term stability of $4\times10^{-4}\,\mathrm{^{\circ}/h}$ for rotation and $4\,\mathrm{μg}$ for acceleration at an averaging time of $1000\,\mathrm{s}$. By converting the intrinsically periodic interferometric response into stabilized phase-encoded inertial channels, this work establishes a new operating regime for atomic beam interferometry and advances matter-wave sensors toward practical quantum inertial navigation under dynamic conditions.

arXiv:2603.14777•Mar 16, 2026•0 citations

Digital closed-loop thermal atomic beam interferometer for high-bandwidth, wide-dynamic-range, and simultaneous absolute sensing of acceleration and rotation

Tomoya Sato, Toshiyuki Hosoya, Martin Miranda +3 more

We present a theoretical proposal and simulation study of a digital closed-loop thermal atomic-beam interferometer for inertial navigation applications. The scheme synchronizes phase biasing with momentum-kick reversal through the atomic transit time, extracting four interferometric phases to suppress Raman beam path-length errors, while two-photon detuning feedback maintains a pseudo-inertial frame and eliminates cross-coupling. The interferometer enables simultaneous measurements of acceleration and rotation based on an absolute, atom-interferometric reference, with high bandwidth and a wide dynamic range. Numerical simulations verify that acceleration and angular velocity can be measured simultaneously and independently in real time without cross-coupling, demonstrating the absolute, decoupled nature of the proposed measurement scheme. We further evaluate the noise-limited performance of the sensor and obtain sensitivities of $3{\rm μm / s^2 / \sqrt{Hz}}$ (velocity random walk) and $15{\rm μdeg / \sqrt{h}}$ (angular random walk) for a ${170}^{\circ}$ $^{85}$Rb beam and an interferometer arm length of 100~mm, surpassing the performance of sensors currently used in state-of-the-art inertial navigation systems.

arXiv:2509.05942•Physical Review Applied•Jan 22, 2026•0 citations

Closed-Loop Atomic Interferometric Inertial Sensor for Dynamic Measurement

Weichen Jia, Peiqiang Yan, Ascar Shen +1 more

This paper presents progress toward a closed-loop atomic interferometric inertial sensor. We propose a method for independent closed-loop feedback control of atomic interfero-metric phase shifts induced by acceleration and angular velocity through precise manipulation of Raman lasers' two-photon frequency detunings. By employing counter-propagating continuous atomic beams and a dual-loop control scheme, we demonstrate stable operation and rapid re-locking following perturbations. Our approach represents a significant step toward the practical deployment of atomic interferometric inertial sensors in dynamic environments.

IEEE International Symposium on Inertial Sensors and Systems (INERTIAL)•May 4, 2025•0 citations

Development of compact cold-atom sensors for inertial navigation

Baptiste Battelier, B. Barrett, Lauriane Fouché +7 more

Inertial sensors based on cold atom interferometry exhibit many interesting features for applications related to inertial navigation, particularly in terms of sensitivity and long-term stability. However, at present the typical atom interferometer is still very much an experiment—consisting of a bulky, static apparatus with a limited dynamic range and high sensitivity to environmental effects. To be compliant with mobile applications further development is needed. In this work, we present a compact and mobile experiment, which we recently used to achieve the first inertial measurements with an atomic accelerometer onboard an aircraft. By integrating classical inertial sensors into our apparatus, we are able to operate the atomic sensor well beyond its standard operating range, corresponding to half of an interference fringe. We report atom-based acceleration measurements along both the horizontal and vertical axes of the aircraft with one-shot sensitivities of 2.3 × 10−4 g over a range of ∼ 0.1 g. The same technology can be used to develop cold-atom gyroscopes, which could surpass the best optical gyroscopes in terms of long-term sensitivity. Our apparatus was also designed to study multi-axis atom interferometry with the goal of realizing a full inertial measurement unit comprised of the three axes of acceleration and rotation. Finally, we present a compact and tunable laser system, which constitutes an essential part of any cold-atom-based sensor. The architecture of the laser is based on phase modulating a single fiber-optic laser diode, and can be tuned over a range of 1 GHz in less than 200 μs.

arXiv:1605.02454•Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Apr 29, 2016•70 citations
We present an interferometric inertial sensor that utilizes two counter-propagating atomic beams with transverse two-dimensional cooling. By employing three parallel and spatially aligned Raman laser beams for Doppler-sensitive Raman transitions, we successfully generate inertia-sensitive Mach-Zehnder interference fringes with an interrogation length of 2L = 54 cm. The sensor’s capability to measure rotation and acceleration simultaneously in dynamic environments is validated through comparative analysis with classical sensors under force oscillation in different directions. Additionally, we conduct experiments on a turntable to calibrate the gyroscope’s scaling factor and address nonlinearity. The angular random walk (ARW) and velocity random walk (VRW) of the sensor are 3×10−4 °/√h and 107 μg/√Hz, respectively, with the long-term stability reaching 9 × 10−4 °/h for rotation and 10 μg for acceleration at an integration time of 1000 s.
We demonstrate a closed-loop light-pulse atom-interferometer inertial sensor that can realize continuous decoupled measurements of acceleration and rotation rate. The sensor operates with double-loop atom interferometers, which share the same Raman light pulses in a spatially separated Mach-Zehnder configuration and use continuous cold atomic beams propagating in opposite directions from two 2D+{\text{2D}}^{+}2D+ magneto-optical trappings. Acceleration and the rotation rate are decoupled and simultaneously measured by the sum and difference of dual-atom-interferometer signals, respectively. The sensitivities of inertial measurements are also increased to be approximately 1.86 times higher than that of a single atom interferometer. The acceleration phase shift is compensated in real time by phase locking these interferometers via the Raman laser phases from the sum-interferometer signal, and the gyroscope performance is improved. We achieve long-term stabilities of $6.1\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{\ensuremath{\mu}}\text{g}$ and 840 nrad/s for the acceleration and the rotation rate, respectively, using a short interrogation time of 0.87 ms (interference area A=0.097mm2A=0.097\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\text{mm}}^{2}A=0.097mm2). This work provides a building block for an atomic interferometer-based inertial measurement unit for use in field applications that require a high data rate and high stability.
Light-pulsed atomic interferometers provide a promising quantum-based solution for inertial navigation applications. In this paper, we present an atomic interferometric inertial sensor designed to simultaneously measure rotation rate and acceleration, through continuous sampling using dual87Rb atomic beams as matter-wave sources. We observe Raman-Ramsey and Raman-Mach-Zehnder interferences and validate the inertial sensing capability by comparing the results with a classical quartz accelerometer and an optical-fiber gyroscope. Our work can serve as a foundational element for the development of a fully quantum inertial measurement unit characterized with a high data rate and large bandwidth.
Atom interferometric inertial sensors offer exceptional sensitivity but are fundamentally constrained by the periodic phase response of matter-wave interference, which imposes an intrinsic half-fringe dynamic-range limit and prevents continuous inertial tracking. In multi-axis configurations, additional cross coupling between acceleration and rotation further complicates closed-loop operation. Here we demonstrate the first dual-channel closed-loop operation of an atomic beam interferometer, realizing decoupled feedback control of acceleration- and rotation-induced phases and overcoming the half-fringe limitation. Using continuous, transversely cooled 87^{87}87Rb atomic beams, the interferometric phases associated with rotation and acceleration are independently extracted, tracked across multiple fringes, and actively compensated through Raman frequency modulation. This closed-loop scheme enables unambiguous measurements up to ±1 ∘/s\pm1\,\mathrm{^{\circ}/s}±1∘/s in rotation and ±0.17 g\pm0.17\,\mathrm{g}±0.17g in acceleration while maintaining high fringe contrast, corresponding to nearly two orders-of-magnitude extension beyond the conventional half-fringe limit. The sensor achieves a long-term stability of 4×10−4 ∘/h4\times10^{-4}\,\mathrm{^{\circ}/h}4×10−4∘/h for rotation and 4 μg4\,\mathrm{μg}4μg for acceleration at an averaging time of 1000 s1000\,\mathrm{s}1000s. By converting the intrinsically periodic interferometric response into stabilized phase-encoded inertial channels, this work establishes a new operating regime for atomic beam interferometry and advances matter-wave sensors toward practical quantum inertial navigation under dynamic conditions.
We present a theoretical proposal and simulation study of a digital closed-loop thermal atomic-beam interferometer for inertial navigation applications. The scheme synchronizes phase biasing with momentum-kick reversal through the atomic transit time, extracting four interferometric phases to suppress Raman beam path-length errors, while two-photon detuning feedback maintains a pseudo-inertial frame and eliminates cross-coupling. The interferometer enables simultaneous measurements of acceleration and rotation based on an absolute, atom-interferometric reference, with high bandwidth and a wide dynamic range. Numerical simulations verify that acceleration and angular velocity can be measured simultaneously and independently in real time without cross-coupling, demonstrating the absolute, decoupled nature of the proposed measurement scheme. We further evaluate the noise-limited performance of the sensor and obtain sensitivities of 3μm/s2/Hz3{\rm μm / s^2 / \sqrt{Hz}}3μm/s2/Hz​ (velocity random walk) and 15μdeg/h15{\rm μdeg / \sqrt{h}}15μdeg/h​ (angular random walk) for a 170∘{170}^{\circ}170∘ 85^{85}85Rb beam and an interferometer arm length of 100~mm, surpassing the performance of sensors currently used in state-of-the-art inertial navigation systems.
This paper presents progress toward a closed-loop atomic interferometric inertial sensor. We propose a method for independent closed-loop feedback control of atomic interfero-metric phase shifts induced by acceleration and angular velocity through precise manipulation of Raman lasers' two-photon frequency detunings. By employing counter-propagating continuous atomic beams and a dual-loop control scheme, we demonstrate stable operation and rapid re-locking following perturbations. Our approach represents a significant step toward the practical deployment of atomic interferometric inertial sensors in dynamic environments.
Inertial sensors based on cold atom interferometry exhibit many interesting features for applications related to inertial navigation, particularly in terms of sensitivity and long-term stability. However, at present the typical atom interferometer is still very much an experiment—consisting of a bulky, static apparatus with a limited dynamic range and high sensitivity to environmental effects. To be compliant with mobile applications further development is needed. In this work, we present a compact and mobile experiment, which we recently used to achieve the first inertial measurements with an atomic accelerometer onboard an aircraft. By integrating classical inertial sensors into our apparatus, we are able to operate the atomic sensor well beyond its standard operating range, corresponding to half of an interference fringe. We report atom-based acceleration measurements along both the horizontal and vertical axes of the aircraft with one-shot sensitivities of 2.3 × 10−4 g over a range of ∼ 0.1 g. The same technology can be used to develop cold-atom gyroscopes, which could surpass the best optical gyroscopes in terms of long-term sensitivity. Our apparatus was also designed to study multi-axis atom interferometry with the goal of realizing a full inertial measurement unit comprised of the three axes of acceleration and rotation. Finally, we present a compact and tunable laser system, which constitutes an essential part of any cold-atom-based sensor. The architecture of the laser is based on phase modulating a single fiber-optic laser diode, and can be tuned over a range of 1 GHz in less than 200 μs.