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

IEEE Sensors Journal

Reanalyzing Atomic Beam Interferometric Gyroscopes: Dependence of Sensitivity on Experimental Parameters

Yukun Luo, Jie You, Qingqing Hu, Yingying Li, Mingxiang Ma, Jie Wang, Fufang Xu

Published Aug 12, 2020• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

As an important technique for developing high-precision gyroscopes, atom interferometry with continuous atomic beams has exhibited advantages of high short-term sensitivity and dynamic response relative to that with periodically launched atom clouds. This article reanalyzes the characteristics of an atomic beam interferometric gyroscope from perspectives including the continuous operation mode and the modified sensitivity dependence on laser and atomic sources. Specific requirements on certain experimental parameters are explored including the Raman beam diameter, detection beam diameter, atomic flux, laser power, laser phase noise, atomic longitudinal and transverse velocity distributions. The parameter determining strategy is discussed to achieve target sensitivity with controlled conditions such as system volume and operating bandwidth. The results would provide strong support on analytical method and data reference for further improvement of atomic beam interferometric gyroscopes.

DOI
10.1109/jsen.2020.3015852

Related papers

CONSTRUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A DUAL ATOMIC BEAM ACCELEROMETER/GYROSCOPE

Michael Manicchia

Current sensors used for inertial navigation are based on technology with inherent sensitivity limitations. Atom interferometry is a very promising replacement, which could yield many orders of magnitude of improvement in sensitivity, leading to more accurate navigation over longer periods of time relative to current technology. This research investigates the physics of atom interferometry through the construction and characterization of an atomic accelerometer/gyroscope combination. In contrast to current state-of-the-art atomic sensors, which use pulsed cold atom sources and pulsed laser beams, the apparatus investigated relies purely on continuous atomic and laser beams. These differences would result in a sensor that lends itself more readily to smaller sizing, lower power consumption, and reduced complexity. This change in approach to atomic interferometry also introduces challenges resulting from laser and atomic beam divergences and the velocity averaging due to both longitudinal and transverse temperature, which this dissertation shows how to overcome. The work contained herein explores many stages of construction of an atomic gyro including the demonstration and characterization of two-dimensional laser cooling of atoms, stimulated Raman transitions, and Ramsey and spin echo interference. The implications for future research are also outlined and discussed.

•Jun 1, 2020•1 citation

Characterization of a Continuous Beam Cold Atom Ramsey Interferometer

Michael Manicchia, Jeffrey G. Lee, Frank A. Narducci

The use of atom interferometers in inertial systems holds the promise of improvement of several orders of magnitude in sensitivity over sensors using current technology such as micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) devices or ring laser gyroscopes (RLGs). This paper describes the construction and characterization of an atomic interferometry system for eventual use in a dual-atom-beam accelerometer/gyroscope sensor. In contrast with current state-of-the-art atomic sensors which use pulsed cold atom sources and pulsed laser beams, the investigated apparatus relies purely on continuous atomic and laser beams. These differences can result in a sensor with reduced complexity, a smaller physical footprint, and reduced power consumption. However, these differences also introduce challenges resulting from laser and atomic beam divergences and from velocity averaging due to both longitudinal and transverse velocity spreads. In this work, we characterize our rubidium-based atom beam system and show that Ramsey-style interference can still be observed. The implications for future research are also outlined and discussed.

Atoms•Mar 5, 2023•2 citations

Limits on the sensitivity of a cold atom interferometry gyroscope

Wenjie Xu, Lele Chen, Ming-Jie Nie +2 more

We present a precision atom interferometry gyroscope with a Sagnac area of 6.0 cm 2 . To drive the cold atom interferometry gyroscope, we utilize two sets of Raman beams with a pulse sequence of π /2- π - π - π /2. We present a procedure for aligning the two sets of Raman beams at the microradian level by making use of the atom interferometer itself in different configurations. Additionally, we measured the atomic cloud trajectory and implemented a spatial symmetry alignment for the atom interferometer. With these improvements, we construct a sensitive atom gyroscope with a stability of 1 nrad/s at an integration time of 10000 s. We analyzed the influence of Raman beams and the limitations of the system, and present the technical limits to the sensitivity and long-term stability. Finally, we point out the primary sources of noise in the atom interferometry gyroscope, clearing the way for the construction of further large-area atom gyroscopes.

Optics Express•Oct 28, 2024•7 citations

Generation of a high-flux and collimated rubidium beam source

Xiangxiang Lu, Qianyun Zhao, Chuang Pei +3 more

A high-flux and collimated atomic beam source has important application in the fields of high precision rotation measurement and atomic clocks. Starting from the principle of atomic interference measurement, the need of atom interference gyroscope for performance parameters of a rubidium beam source is briefly introduced in this paper. An atomic beam generation method that uses micro-channel stainless arrays with a length-diameter ratio of 100:1 is proposed, which is used to support the parameter design and verification system construction. A preliminary parameter characterization is performed, with a peak atomic flux of$2.1\times 10^{12}\text{atoms}/\mathrm{s}$and a full divergence angle of 16 mrad. The test results agree well with theoretical calculation, and the slight difference results from atom-wall collision. A$\pi/2-\pi/2$Ramsey interferometer with an interval of 200 mm is also constructed and characterized with two phase-coherent Raman beams, which proves good coherence of the atom beam, and thus pave the way to high-sensitivity atom interferometry measurements.

International Conference on Ocean Studies (ICOS)•Oct 3, 2023•0 citations

Sensitive gravity-gradiometry with atom interferometry: progress towards an improved determination of the gravitational constant

Fiodor Sorrentino, Yu-Hung Lien, G. Rosi +3 more

We here present a high sensitivity gravity-gradiometer based on atom interferometry. In our apparatus, two clouds of laser-cooled rubidium atoms are launched in fountain configuration and interrogated by a Raman interferometry sequence to probe the gradient of gravity field. We recently implemented a high-flux atomic source and a newly designed Raman lasers system in the instrument set-up. We discuss the applications towards a precise determination of the Newtonian gravitational constant G. The long-term stability of the instrument and the signal-to-noise ratio demonstrated here open interesting perspectives for pushing the measurement precision below the 100 ppm level.

arXiv:1002.3549•New Journal of Physics•Sep 24, 2010•51 citations

Multi-axis atom interferometer gyroscope with a single source of atoms

Yun-Jhih Chen, Azure Hansen, Gregory W. Hoth +4 more

Using the technique of point source atom interferometry, we characterize the sensitivity of a multi-axis gyroscope based on free-space Raman interrogation of a single source of cold atoms in a glass vacuum cell. The instrument simultaneously measures the acceleration in the direction of the Raman laser beams and the component of the rotation vector in the plane perpendicular to that direction. We characterize the sensitivities for the magnitude and direction of the rotation vector measurement, which are 0.033 $^{\circ}/\mathrm{s}$ and 0.27 $^{\circ}$ with one second averaging time, respectively. The sensitivity could be improved by increasing the Raman interrogation time, allowing the cold-atom cloud to expand further, correcting the fluctuations in the initial cloud shape, and reducing sources of technical noise. The unique ability of the PSI technique to measure the rotation vector in a plane may permit applications of atom interferometry such as tracking the precession of a rotation vector and gyrocompassing.

arXiv:1812.00106•Dec 1, 2018•9 citations
As an important technique for developing high-precision gyroscopes, atom interferometry with continuous atomic beams has exhibited advantages of high short-term sensitivity and dynamic response relative to that with periodically launched atom clouds. This article reanalyzes the characteristics of an atomic beam interferometric gyroscope from perspectives including the continuous operation mode and the modified sensitivity dependence on laser and atomic sources. Specific requirements on certain experimental parameters are explored including the Raman beam diameter, detection beam diameter, atomic flux, laser power, laser phase noise, atomic longitudinal and transverse velocity distributions. The parameter determining strategy is discussed to achieve target sensitivity with controlled conditions such as system volume and operating bandwidth. The results would provide strong support on analytical method and data reference for further improvement of atomic beam interferometric gyroscopes.
Current sensors used for inertial navigation are based on technology with inherent sensitivity limitations. Atom interferometry is a very promising replacement, which could yield many orders of magnitude of improvement in sensitivity, leading to more accurate navigation over longer periods of time relative to current technology. This research investigates the physics of atom interferometry through the construction and characterization of an atomic accelerometer/gyroscope combination. In contrast to current state-of-the-art atomic sensors, which use pulsed cold atom sources and pulsed laser beams, the apparatus investigated relies purely on continuous atomic and laser beams. These differences would result in a sensor that lends itself more readily to smaller sizing, lower power consumption, and reduced complexity. This change in approach to atomic interferometry also introduces challenges resulting from laser and atomic beam divergences and the velocity averaging due to both longitudinal and transverse temperature, which this dissertation shows how to overcome. The work contained herein explores many stages of construction of an atomic gyro including the demonstration and characterization of two-dimensional laser cooling of atoms, stimulated Raman transitions, and Ramsey and spin echo interference. The implications for future research are also outlined and discussed.
The use of atom interferometers in inertial systems holds the promise of improvement of several orders of magnitude in sensitivity over sensors using current technology such as micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) devices or ring laser gyroscopes (RLGs). This paper describes the construction and characterization of an atomic interferometry system for eventual use in a dual-atom-beam accelerometer/gyroscope sensor. In contrast with current state-of-the-art atomic sensors which use pulsed cold atom sources and pulsed laser beams, the investigated apparatus relies purely on continuous atomic and laser beams. These differences can result in a sensor with reduced complexity, a smaller physical footprint, and reduced power consumption. However, these differences also introduce challenges resulting from laser and atomic beam divergences and from velocity averaging due to both longitudinal and transverse velocity spreads. In this work, we characterize our rubidium-based atom beam system and show that Ramsey-style interference can still be observed. The implications for future research are also outlined and discussed.
We present a precision atom interferometry gyroscope with a Sagnac area of 6.0 cm 2 . To drive the cold atom interferometry gyroscope, we utilize two sets of Raman beams with a pulse sequence of π /2- π - π - π /2. We present a procedure for aligning the two sets of Raman beams at the microradian level by making use of the atom interferometer itself in different configurations. Additionally, we measured the atomic cloud trajectory and implemented a spatial symmetry alignment for the atom interferometer. With these improvements, we construct a sensitive atom gyroscope with a stability of 1 nrad/s at an integration time of 10000 s. We analyzed the influence of Raman beams and the limitations of the system, and present the technical limits to the sensitivity and long-term stability. Finally, we point out the primary sources of noise in the atom interferometry gyroscope, clearing the way for the construction of further large-area atom gyroscopes.
A high-flux and collimated atomic beam source has important application in the fields of high precision rotation measurement and atomic clocks. Starting from the principle of atomic interference measurement, the need of atom interference gyroscope for performance parameters of a rubidium beam source is briefly introduced in this paper. An atomic beam generation method that uses micro-channel stainless arrays with a length-diameter ratio of 100:1 is proposed, which is used to support the parameter design and verification system construction. A preliminary parameter characterization is performed, with a peak atomic flux of2.1×1012atoms/s2.1\times 10^{12}\text{atoms}/\mathrm{s}2.1×1012atoms/sand a full divergence angle of 16 mrad. The test results agree well with theoretical calculation, and the slight difference results from atom-wall collision. Aπ/2−π/2\pi/2-\pi/2π/2−π/2Ramsey interferometer with an interval of 200 mm is also constructed and characterized with two phase-coherent Raman beams, which proves good coherence of the atom beam, and thus pave the way to high-sensitivity atom interferometry measurements.
We here present a high sensitivity gravity-gradiometer based on atom interferometry. In our apparatus, two clouds of laser-cooled rubidium atoms are launched in fountain configuration and interrogated by a Raman interferometry sequence to probe the gradient of gravity field. We recently implemented a high-flux atomic source and a newly designed Raman lasers system in the instrument set-up. We discuss the applications towards a precise determination of the Newtonian gravitational constant G. The long-term stability of the instrument and the signal-to-noise ratio demonstrated here open interesting perspectives for pushing the measurement precision below the 100 ppm level.
Using the technique of point source atom interferometry, we characterize the sensitivity of a multi-axis gyroscope based on free-space Raman interrogation of a single source of cold atoms in a glass vacuum cell. The instrument simultaneously measures the acceleration in the direction of the Raman laser beams and the component of the rotation vector in the plane perpendicular to that direction. We characterize the sensitivities for the magnitude and direction of the rotation vector measurement, which are 0.033 ∘/s^{\circ}/\mathrm{s}∘/s and 0.27 ∘^{\circ}∘ with one second averaging time, respectively. The sensitivity could be improved by increasing the Raman interrogation time, allowing the cold-atom cloud to expand further, correcting the fluctuations in the initial cloud shape, and reducing sources of technical noise. The unique ability of the PSI technique to measure the rotation vector in a plane may permit applications of atom interferometry such as tracking the precession of a rotation vector and gyrocompassing.