Optically dithered atomic gyro-compass
US9175960B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 2014 |
| Grant date | Nov 3, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 10, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32935
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Systems and methods for an optically dithered atomic gyro-compass are provided. In one embodiment, an inertial sensor comprises: a vacuum chamber containing a cloud of laser cooled alkali atoms, wherein the atoms are free to fall under the influence of gravity; a first set of laser sources applying a first set of laser beams into the cloud along a first axis; a second set of laser sources applying a second set of laser beams into the cloud along a second axis; wherein the first set and second sets of laser beams apply coherent laser pulses that separate a wave function of the atoms along trajectories defining a plane sensitive to rotation about an axis orthogonal to the plane; and wherein the first and second set of laser sources apply dithering to the axis by modulating a relative magnitude of the first laser beams with respect to the second laser beams.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.