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NAVIGATION Journal of the Institute of Navigation

Navigation Error Analysis of Atom Interferometer Inertial Sensor

Christopher Jekeli

Published Mar 1, 2005• 98 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The recent development of the atom interferometer and its demonstration as an inertial sensor of acceleration and rotation rate augur a new generation of inertial navigation systems that would rival today's satellite navigation accuracy at the few-meter level. This paper reviews the principles of inertial measurement using the atom interferometer from a rudimentary viewpoint to illustrate the fundamentals and to highlight some of the potential shortcomings with a particular type, the cold-atom interferometer. One of these shortcomings is the fact that this interferometer requires a finite period of time during which the atoms are prepared (cooled) before they enter the interferometer and respond to its dynamics relative to an inertial frame. This lapse in the measurement duty cycle could be supplemented with very precise conventional inertial measurement units (IMUs), or eliminated with multiple, interleaved atom interferometers. Error analyses show that cold-atom interferometric IMUs that capture 50 percent of the dynamics must be coupled with conventional IMUs that are 50 times more accurate than typical navigation-grade units to sustain a horizontal position error of under 5 m (root mean square) after 1 h.

DOI
10.1002/j.2161-4296.2005.tb01726.x

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Recent technological advancements in atom interferometry have demonstrated extremely precise inertial measurements of acceleration and rotation. These could be used to develop ultra-precise inertial navigation systems that approach GPS navigation. The paper presents a rudimentary exposition of the interferometer which is based on beams of atoms cooled by lasers to a velocity of the order of 1 m/s and launched along two trajectories that re-combine, as in a classical interferometer. Using the dual wave-particle quantum mechanical properties of atoms, the differential phase of the interfering beams is indicative of inertial acceleration and rotation, similar to the Sagnac effect. Due to the much shorter wavelength of the atomic beam, the sensitivity is many orders of magnitude greater. Concluding analyses show that an inertial navigation system with 5/hr drift is technically possible.
Quantum sensors based on atom interferometers can provide measurements of inertial quantities with unprecedented accuracy and precision. It has been suggested that this sea change in sensing could provide an inertial navigation capability that is comparable with current satellite based navigation systems. However, the accuracy of sensor measurements is not the only factor that limits the accuracy of inertial navigation systems. In this paper, we explore the fundamental limits to inertial navigation, and explain how quantum inertial sensors could be used to alleviate some of the problems encountered in current classical inertial navigation systems, but not to solve the fundamental instability inherent in inertial navigation methods.
In this paper we present our progress towards the development of a complete cold-atom Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Our goal is to have a single atomic sensor that will alternatively measure each inertial component (3 accelerations and 3 rotations). Every atomic measurement will be hybridized with a set of classical inertial sensors. Hybridization enables to combine the advantages of both technologies and to provide accurate continuous measurements with high dynamic range, in the scope of onboard inertial navigation compatibility.
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Quantum technology have attracted strong interest in recent years thanks to its extreme sensitivity to inertial forces and its strong immunity to drifts compared to conventional mechanical sensors. This paper introduces cold atom sensors as six-axis inertial sensors from the engineering point of view. In order to highlight the potential of this technology as needed for inertial navigation, a strapdown closed-loop-simulation has been developed. Furthermore, we present an error model for quantum sensors that includes terms such as quantum shot noise and phase noise of the reference laser. Considering this inherent stochastic characteristics, we made also a comparison with other conventional inertial measurement units. The analysis shows that quantum sensors with the same sensitivity as of for static measuring local gravity can determine their position with accuracy of one-meter level even after one hour, while other quantum sensors with less sensitivity exhibit for the same duration an amplitude up to 1 km, similar to conventional sensors.
We are developing an atom interferometer that measures horizontal accelerations to form a component of a quantum inertial measurement unit. Benefitting from the inherent stability of atom interferometry, this points to a navigation system that offers long-term accuracy without recourse to GPS. To aid compactness and transportability, the sub-components of the quantum sensor are mounted in a 19-inch rack. This includes an optical system of two titanium-sapphire lasers that delivers all of the optical pulses required to operate a highly sensitive atom interferometer using 87Rb atoms. Active compensation systems that allow operation of the quantum sensor in the noisy environment of a moving vehicle are described. Finally, we give an account of recent field trials on a variety of test platforms.