Patent · US Active

Atomic interferometer system

US11133117B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
25References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 2020
Grant dateSep 28, 2021
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 5, 2040

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V8/20
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An atom interferometer system includes a sensor cell comprising alkali metal atoms. An optical system generates first and second interrogation beams having respective first and second frequencies and a circular polarization. The optical system includes optics that provide the first and second interrogation beams through the sensor cell in a first direction and reflect the first and second interrogation beams back through the sensor cell in a second direction opposite the first direction and in a same circular polarization to drive the alkali metal atoms from a first energy state to a greater energy state during an interrogation stage of sequential measurement cycles. A detection system detects a state distribution of a population of the alkali metal atoms between the first energy state and the second energy state during the interrogation stage based on an optical response.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.