Atomic interferometric accelerometer with enhanced vibrational stability
US10107936B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 25, 2016 |
| Grant date | Oct 23, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 12, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/64
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An atomic interferometric accelerometer comprises a laser that emits a pulsed beam at a first frequency, an electro-optic modulator that receives the beam, and a vacuum cell in communication with the electro-optic modulator. The electro-optic modulator outputs a first optical signal corresponding to the beam at the first frequency and a second optical signal having a second frequency different from the first frequency. The vacuum cell has a chamber for laser cooled atoms. The vacuum cell receives the optical signals such that they propagate in a direction that passes through the atoms. A piezo mirror retro-reflects the optical signals back through the vacuum cell in a counter-propagating direction. The piezo mirror is driven with substantially constant velocity during a beam pulse, thereby imparting a Doppler shift to the retro-reflected optical signals to create two non-symmetric counter-propagating lightwave pairs. One of the lightwave pairs supports interferometry while the other is non-resonant.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.