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

Simple, precise, and versatile atom interferometer for field applications

Xuejian Wu, Holger Müller, Fei Zi, Jordan Dudley, Zachary Pagel, Bola S. Malek, Philip Canoza

Published Feb 22, 2018• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a scheme for atom interferometry to measure multiple axes of accelerations and rotations based on a single-diode laser and a pyramidal magneto-optical trap. The atom interferometer is constructed based on a simple and robust design. Additionally, with zeroed AC Stark shift, efficient Raman transition has been achieved by use of modest laser intensity and a small single photon detuning. By irradiating Raman beams toward not only the whole pyramid but also individual pyramidal faces, multiaxis atom interferometers have been operated. As a demonstration, the vertical interferometer measures the gravity with a sensitivity of 6 μm/s2 /√Hz and one interferometer along the diagonal axis observes the long-term tilt drift of the platform with a sensitivity of 4 μrad/√Hz. As a gyroscope, the atom interferometer along the diagonal axis achieves a sensitivity of 300 μrad/s/√Hz. This work paves the way toward compact, precise and multiaxis atom interferometers for geodesy, geology, or inertial navigation.

DOI
10.1117/12.2299199

Related papers

Multiaxis atom interferometry with a single-diode laser and a pyramidal magneto-optical trap

Xiaojing Wu, Fei Zi, Jordan Dudley +3 more

Atom interferometry has become one of the most powerful technologies for precision measurements. To develop simple, precise, and versatile atom interferometers for inertial sensing, we demonstrate an atom interferometer measuring acceleration, rotation, and inclination by pointing Raman beams toward individual faces of a pyramidal mirror. Only a single diode laser is used for all functions, including atom trapping, interferometry, and detection. Efficient Doppler-sensitive Raman transitions are achieved without the velocity selecting the atom sample, and with zero differential AC Stark shift between the cesium hyperfine ground states, increasing signal-to-noise and suppressing systematic effects. We measure gravity along two axes (vertical and 45$^\circ$ to the vertical), rotation, and inclination with sensitivities of 6$\,μ$m/s$^2/\sqrt{\rm Hz}$, 300$\,μ$rad/s/$\sqrt{\rm Hz}$, and 4$\,μ$rad/$\sqrt{\rm Hz}$, respectively. This work paves the way toward deployable multiaxis atom interferometers for geodesy, geology, or inertial navigation.

arXiv:1707.08693•Optica•Dec 19, 2017•108 citations

Multiaxis, Single-Laser Atom Interferometer for Inertial Sensing

Xiaojing Wu, Jordan Dudley, Fei Zi +1 more

We demonstrate a multiaxis atom interferometer based on a pyramidal magneto-optical trap and one diode laser. Being simple and capable of multiaxis operation, our atomic sensor opens up applications in geodesy, geology, or inertial navigation.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2017•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

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

An atom interferometer for measuring horizontal accelerations

Jimmy Stammers

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.

•Nov 1, 2018•6 citations

Atom Interferometry in an Optical Cavity

Paul Hamilton, Matt Jaffe, Justin M. Brown +3 more

We propose and demonstrate a new scheme for atom interferometry, using light pulses inside an optical cavity as matter wave beam splitters. The cavity provides power enhancement, spatial filtering, and a precise beam geometry, enabling new techniques such as low power beam splitters (<100 μW), large momentum transfer beam splitters with modest power, or new self-aligned interferometer geometries utilizing the transverse modes of the optical cavity. As a first demonstration, we obtain Ramsey-Raman fringes with >75% contrast and measure the acceleration due to gravity, g, to 60 μg/sqrt[Hz] resolution in a Mach-Zehnder geometry. We use >10(7) cesium atoms in the compact mode volume (600 μm 1/e(2) waist) of the cavity and show trapping of atoms in higher transverse modes. This work paves the way toward compact, high sensitivity, multiaxis interferometry.

arXiv:1409.7130•Physical Review Letters•Mar 11, 2015•110 citations
We demonstrate a scheme for atom interferometry to measure multiple axes of accelerations and rotations based on a single-diode laser and a pyramidal magneto-optical trap. The atom interferometer is constructed based on a simple and robust design. Additionally, with zeroed AC Stark shift, efficient Raman transition has been achieved by use of modest laser intensity and a small single photon detuning. By irradiating Raman beams toward not only the whole pyramid but also individual pyramidal faces, multiaxis atom interferometers have been operated. As a demonstration, the vertical interferometer measures the gravity with a sensitivity of 6 μm/s2 /√Hz and one interferometer along the diagonal axis observes the long-term tilt drift of the platform with a sensitivity of 4 μrad/√Hz. As a gyroscope, the atom interferometer along the diagonal axis achieves a sensitivity of 300 μrad/s/√Hz. This work paves the way toward compact, precise and multiaxis atom interferometers for geodesy, geology, or inertial navigation.
Atom interferometry has become one of the most powerful technologies for precision measurements. To develop simple, precise, and versatile atom interferometers for inertial sensing, we demonstrate an atom interferometer measuring acceleration, rotation, and inclination by pointing Raman beams toward individual faces of a pyramidal mirror. Only a single diode laser is used for all functions, including atom trapping, interferometry, and detection. Efficient Doppler-sensitive Raman transitions are achieved without the velocity selecting the atom sample, and with zero differential AC Stark shift between the cesium hyperfine ground states, increasing signal-to-noise and suppressing systematic effects. We measure gravity along two axes (vertical and 45∘^\circ∘ to the vertical), rotation, and inclination with sensitivities of 6 μ\,μμm/s2/Hz^2/\sqrt{\rm Hz}2/Hz​, 300 μ\,μμrad/s/Hz\sqrt{\rm Hz}Hz​, and 4 μ\,μμrad/Hz\sqrt{\rm Hz}Hz​, respectively. This work paves the way toward deployable multiaxis atom interferometers for geodesy, geology, or inertial navigation.
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.
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.
We propose and demonstrate a new scheme for atom interferometry, using light pulses inside an optical cavity as matter wave beam splitters. The cavity provides power enhancement, spatial filtering, and a precise beam geometry, enabling new techniques such as low power beam splitters (<100 μW), large momentum transfer beam splitters with modest power, or new self-aligned interferometer geometries utilizing the transverse modes of the optical cavity. As a first demonstration, we obtain Ramsey-Raman fringes with >75% contrast and measure the acceleration due to gravity, g, to 60 μg/sqrt[Hz] resolution in a Mach-Zehnder geometry. We use >10(7) cesium atoms in the compact mode volume (600 μm 1/e(2) waist) of the cavity and show trapping of atoms in higher transverse modes. This work paves the way toward compact, high sensitivity, multiaxis interferometry.