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Sensors

Advances in Atomic Gyroscopes: A View from Inertial Navigation Applications

Jiancheng Fang, Jie Qin

Published May 11, 2012• 183 citations
Publisher

Abstract

With the rapid development of modern physics, atomic gyroscopes have been demonstrated in recent years. There are two types of atomic gyroscope. The Atomic Interferometer Gyroscope (AIG), which utilizes the atomic interferometer to sense rotation, is an ultra-high precision gyroscope; and the Atomic Spin Gyroscope (ASG), which utilizes atomic spin to sense rotation, features high precision, compact size and the possibility to make a chip-scale one. Recent developments in the atomic gyroscope field have created new ways to obtain high precision gyroscopes which were previously unavailable with mechanical or optical gyroscopes, but there are still lots of problems that need to be overcome to meet the requirements of inertial navigation systems. This paper reviews the basic principles of AIG and ASG, introduces the recent progress in this area, focusing on discussing their technical difficulties for inertial navigation applications, and suggests methods for developing high performance atomic gyroscopes in the near future.

DOI
10.3390/s120506331

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With the rapid development of modern physics, atomic gyroscopes have been demonstrated in recent years. There are two types of atomic gyroscope. The Atomic Interferometer Gyroscope (AIG), which utilizes the atomic interferometer to sense rotation, is an ultra-high precision gyroscope; and the Atomic Spin Gyroscope (ASG), which utilizes atomic spin to sense rotation, features high precision, compact size and the possibility to make a chip-scale one. Recent developments in the atomic gyroscope field have created new ways to obtain high precision gyroscopes which were previously unavailable with mechanical or optical gyroscopes, but there are still lots of problems that need to be overcome to meet the requirements of inertial navigation systems. This paper reviews the basic principles of AIG and ASG, introduces the recent progress in this area, focusing on discussing their technical difficulties for inertial navigation applications, and suggests methods for developing high performance atomic gyroscopes in the near future.
In recent years, developments in quantum sensing, laser, and atomic sensor technologies have also enabled advancement in the field of quantum navigation. Atomic-based gyroscopes have emerged as one of the most critical atomic sensors in this respect. In this review, a brief technology statement of spin exchange relaxation free (SERF) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) type atomic comagnetometer gyroscope (CG) is presented. Related studies in the literature have been gathered, and the fundamental compositions of CGs with technical basics are presented. A comparison of SERF and NMR CGs is provided. A basic simulation of SERF CG was carried out because of its high theoretic bias stability limit. Besides, some highly critical challenges for CGs were examined and reported with compensation methods. The objective of this review is to offer a guide for researchers to develop high-precision atomic gyroscopes and to encourage further research.
Rotation measurement in an inertial frame is an important technology for modern advanced navigation systems and fundamental physics research. Inertial rotation measurement with atomic spin has demonstrated potential in both high-precision applications and small-volume low-cost devices. After rapid development in the last few decades, atomic spin gyroscopes are considered a promising competitor to current conventional gyroscopes—from rate-grade to strategic-grade applications. Although it has been more than a century since the discovery of the relationship between atomic spin and mechanical rotation by Einstein [Naturwissenschaften, 3(19) (1915)], research on the coupling between spin and rotation is still a focus point. The semi-classical Larmor precession model is usually adopted to describe atomic spin gyroscope measurement principles. More recently, the geometric phase theory has provided a different view of the rotation measurement mechanism via atomic spin. The theory has been used to describe a gyroscope based on the nuclear spin ensembles in diamond. A comprehensive understanding of inertial rotation measurement principles based on atomic spin would be helpful for future applications. This work reviews different atomic spin gyroscopes and their rotation measurement principles with a historical overlook. In addition, the spin-rotation coupling mechanism in the context of the quantum phase theory is presented. The geometric phase is assumed to be the origin of the measurable rotation signal from atomic spins. In conclusion, with a complete understanding of inertial rotation measurements using atomic spin and advances in techniques, wide application of high-performance atomic spin gyroscopes is expected in the near future.
We review the field of atom interferometer inertial sensors. We begin by reviewing the path integral formulation of atom interferometers and then specialize the treatment to light-pulse atom interferometers and, in particular, gravimeters and gyroscopes. The bulk of the article focuses on the most common type of atom interferometer – the light-pulse interferometer, where the atom optics are composed of light pulses. Our article mainly focuses on a review of advances that aid in the practical implementation of atom interferometers toward gravimetry and inertial navigation. To that end, we develop a navigation model that aids in the connection of parameters and performance of atom interferometers to actual quantities of interest to the navigation community. Practical considerations of atomic inertial sensors, including dynamic range, bandwidth, dead time, and cross-coupling effects are discussed, before we review the field of accelerometer and gyroscope atom interferometers. Finally, we review advances in trapped-atom interferometers.
With the progress of laser cooling and other atom optics technologies, the cold atom interferometry gyroscope based on cold atom wave is developing rapidly, and it promises to be a novel gyroscope technology in inertial navigation areas. The research status of cold atom interferometry gyroscope and the principle of atom interferometry are introduced, and a comparative analysis of the characteristics among the three distinct types of cold atom interferometry gyroscopes in Stanford University, Observatoire de Paris and Hanover University is carried out. The improving schemes and developing prospects of cold atom interferometry gyroscope are discussed by focusing on its current limitations, aiming at its wider application in inertial navigation fields.
Abstract With the rapid development of micro‐nano fabrication technology, micro‐optical gyroscope technology has shown tremendous potential in integration, miniaturization, and sensitivity. The micro‐optical gyroscope is closely related to the performance of the gyroscopic system, which is realized by the light‐matter interaction and resonance enhancement. Currently, the detection range of micro‐optical gyroscopes extends from millimeter‐scale physical mechanical motion to molecular vibrations at the nanometer scale; however, their precision is challenging to surpass the standard quantum limit. The primary research objective of quantum precision measurement is to utilize quantum resources to conduct quantum‐enhanced measurements on physical system quantities, thereby surpassing the quantum limit and improving parameter measurement accuracy. In recent years, due to the rapid development in the field of quantum precision measurement, quantum gyroscope has made great progress in practical and engineering. In the future, by replacing traditional accelerometers and gyroscopes, it may be possible to develop highly integrated, low‐power, and low‐drift quantum inertial navigation systems. Based on the information disclosed by journals, conferences, and related research institutions, this paper briefly outlines the development status, basic principles, and corresponding challenges of the micro‐optical gyroscope. Additionally, this paper introduces the current theoretical and experimental progress of quantum‐enhanced gyroscopes.