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:2405.13689 · Science Advances

Quantum sensing of acceleration and rotation by interfering magnetically launched atoms

Clément Salducci, Yannick Bidel, Malo Cadoret, Sarah Darmon, Nassim Zahzam, Alexis Bonnin, Sylvain Schwartz, Cédric Blanchard, Alexandre Bresson

Published Oct 30, 2024• 37 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Accurate and stable measurement of inertial quantities is essential in geophysics, geodesy, fundamental physics, and inertial navigation. Here, we present an architecture for a compact cold-atom accelerometer-gyroscope based on a magnetically launched atom interferometer. Characterizing the launching technique, we demonstrate 700–parts per million gyroscope scale factor stability over 1 day, while acceleration and rotation rate bias stabilities of 7 × 10 −7 meters per second squared and 4 × 10 −7 radians per second are reached after 2 days of integration of the cold-atom sensor. Hybridizing it with a classical accelerometer and gyroscope, we correct their drift and bias to achieve respective 100-fold and 3-fold increase on the stability of the hybridized sensor compared to the classical ones. Compared to a state-of-the-art atomic gyroscope, the simplicity and scalability of our launching technique make this architecture easily extendable to a compact full six-axis inertial measurement unit, providing a pathway toward autonomous positioning and orientation using cold-atom sensors.

DOI
10.1126/sciadv.adq4498

Related papers

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

Atom interferometry at arbitrary orientations and rotation rates

Quentin d’Armagnac de Castanet, Cyrille Des Cognets, Romain Arguel +6 more

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.

arXiv:2402.18988•Nature Communications•Jul 30, 2024•32 citations

Tracking the vector acceleration with a hybrid quantum accelerometer triad

Simon Templier, P. Cheiney, Quentin d’Armagnac de Castanet +6 more

Robust and accurate acceleration tracking remains a challenge in many fields. For geophysics and economic geology, precise gravity mapping requires onboard sensors combined with accurate positioning and navigation systems. Cold atom–based quantum inertial sensors can potentially provide these high-precision instruments. However, current scalar instruments require precise alignment with vector quantities. Here, we present the first hybrid three-axis accelerometer exploiting the quantum advantage to measure the full acceleration vector by combining three orthogonal atom interferometer measurements with a classical navigation-grade accelerometer triad. Its ultralow bias permits tracking the acceleration vector over long time scales, yielding a 50-fold improvement in stability (6 × 10 −8 g ) over our classical accelerometers. We record the acceleration vector at a high data rate (1 kHz), with absolute magnitude accuracy below 10 μ g , and pointing accuracy of 4 μrad. This paves the way toward future strapdown applications with quantum sensors and highlights their potential as future inertial navigation units.

arXiv:2209.13209•Science Advances•Nov 9, 2022•61 citations

Hybrid Inertial sensors – future prospects of inertial sensors based on atom interferometry fused with opto-mechanical accelerometers

M. Warner, Jens Große, Lisa Wörner +6 more

Positioning currently relies heavily on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Combined with classical accelerometers and gyroscopes, precise determination of orientation and position at any given time become available. However, but the availability of GNSS (e.g. GPS) is limited and not guaranteed at all times.In this paper we present an alternative based on atom interferometry using cold atom ensembles. An inertial sensor based on cold atoms allows, in theory, for nearly drift-free measurements of inertial forces with accuracies unreached by classical sensors, but the technology is still locked away in large physics laboratories [1].This paper introduces a compact device called SECAMP, which is capable of cooling atoms down to μ-Kelvin. SECAMP has the potential to measure inertial acceleration in three degrees of freedom. In the following, we present the current experimental setup of the apparatus and outline the next steps for the inertial sensor.

DGON Inertial Sensors and Systems (ISS)•Sep 1, 2019•1 citation

Six-Axis Inertial Sensor Using Cold-Atom Interferometry

B. Canuel, Florence Leduc, David Holleville +8 more

We have developed an atom interferometer providing a full inertial base. This device uses two counterpropagating cold-atom clouds that are launched in strongly curved parabolic trajectories. Three single Raman beam pairs, pulsed in time, are successively applied in three orthogonal directions leading to the measurement of the three axis of rotation and acceleration. In this purpose, we introduce a new atom gyroscope using a butterfly geometry. We discuss the present sensitivity and the possible improvements.

arXiv:physics/0604061•Physical Review Letters•Jul 7, 2006•387 citations

Compact chip-scale guided cold atom gyrometers for inertial navigation: Enabling technologies and design study

Carlos L. Garrido Alzar

This work reviews the topic of rotation sensing with compact cold atom interferometers. A representative set of compact free-falling cold atom gyroscopes is considered because, in different respects, they establish a rotation-measurement reference for cold guided-atom technologies. This review first discusses enabling technologies relevant to a set of key functional building blocks of an atom chip-based compact inertial sensor with cold guided atoms. These functionalities concern the accurate and reproducible positioning of atoms to initiate a measurement cycle, the coherent momentum transfer to the atom wave packets, the suppression of propagation-induced decoherence due to potential roughness, on-chip detection, and vacuum dynamics because of its impact on sensor stability, which is due to the measurement dead time. Based on the existing enabling technologies, the design of an atom chip gyroscope with guided atoms is formalized using a design case that treats design elements such as guiding, fabrication, scale factor, rotation-rate sensitivity, spectral response, important noise sources, and sensor stability.

arXiv:1912.06851•AVS Quantum Science•Dec 1, 2019•79 citations
Accurate and stable measurement of inertial quantities is essential in geophysics, geodesy, fundamental physics, and inertial navigation. Here, we present an architecture for a compact cold-atom accelerometer-gyroscope based on a magnetically launched atom interferometer. Characterizing the launching technique, we demonstrate 700–parts per million gyroscope scale factor stability over 1 day, while acceleration and rotation rate bias stabilities of 7 × 10 −7 meters per second squared and 4 × 10 −7 radians per second are reached after 2 days of integration of the cold-atom sensor. Hybridizing it with a classical accelerometer and gyroscope, we correct their drift and bias to achieve respective 100-fold and 3-fold increase on the stability of the hybridized sensor compared to the classical ones. Compared to a state-of-the-art atomic gyroscope, the simplicity and scalability of our launching technique make this architecture easily extendable to a compact full six-axis inertial measurement unit, providing a pathway toward autonomous positioning and orientation using cold-atom sensors.
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.
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.
Robust and accurate acceleration tracking remains a challenge in many fields. For geophysics and economic geology, precise gravity mapping requires onboard sensors combined with accurate positioning and navigation systems. Cold atom–based quantum inertial sensors can potentially provide these high-precision instruments. However, current scalar instruments require precise alignment with vector quantities. Here, we present the first hybrid three-axis accelerometer exploiting the quantum advantage to measure the full acceleration vector by combining three orthogonal atom interferometer measurements with a classical navigation-grade accelerometer triad. Its ultralow bias permits tracking the acceleration vector over long time scales, yielding a 50-fold improvement in stability (6 × 10 −8 g ) over our classical accelerometers. We record the acceleration vector at a high data rate (1 kHz), with absolute magnitude accuracy below 10 μ g , and pointing accuracy of 4 μrad. This paves the way toward future strapdown applications with quantum sensors and highlights their potential as future inertial navigation units.
Positioning currently relies heavily on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Combined with classical accelerometers and gyroscopes, precise determination of orientation and position at any given time become available. However, but the availability of GNSS (e.g. GPS) is limited and not guaranteed at all times.In this paper we present an alternative based on atom interferometry using cold atom ensembles. An inertial sensor based on cold atoms allows, in theory, for nearly drift-free measurements of inertial forces with accuracies unreached by classical sensors, but the technology is still locked away in large physics laboratories [1].This paper introduces a compact device called SECAMP, which is capable of cooling atoms down to μ-Kelvin. SECAMP has the potential to measure inertial acceleration in three degrees of freedom. In the following, we present the current experimental setup of the apparatus and outline the next steps for the inertial sensor.
We have developed an atom interferometer providing a full inertial base. This device uses two counterpropagating cold-atom clouds that are launched in strongly curved parabolic trajectories. Three single Raman beam pairs, pulsed in time, are successively applied in three orthogonal directions leading to the measurement of the three axis of rotation and acceleration. In this purpose, we introduce a new atom gyroscope using a butterfly geometry. We discuss the present sensitivity and the possible improvements.
This work reviews the topic of rotation sensing with compact cold atom interferometers. A representative set of compact free-falling cold atom gyroscopes is considered because, in different respects, they establish a rotation-measurement reference for cold guided-atom technologies. This review first discusses enabling technologies relevant to a set of key functional building blocks of an atom chip-based compact inertial sensor with cold guided atoms. These functionalities concern the accurate and reproducible positioning of atoms to initiate a measurement cycle, the coherent momentum transfer to the atom wave packets, the suppression of propagation-induced decoherence due to potential roughness, on-chip detection, and vacuum dynamics because of its impact on sensor stability, which is due to the measurement dead time. Based on the existing enabling technologies, the design of an atom chip gyroscope with guided atoms is formalized using a design case that treats design elements such as guiding, fabrication, scale factor, rotation-rate sensitivity, spectral response, important noise sources, and sensor stability.