# US 10,371,856 B1 · Zero dead-time gravimeter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,856 B1 - Document ID: US10371856B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/430,982 - Filed: 2017-02-13 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-13 - Assignees: AOSense, Inc. - Applicants: AOSense, Inc. - Inventors: Mark A. Kasevich; Miroslav Y. Shverdin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371856B1 ## CPC - G01V 7/04: Electric, photoelectric, or magnetic indicating or recording means - G01V 7/02: Details - G01V 7/06: Analysis or interpretation of gravimetric records - G01V 7/005: {using a resonating body or device, e.g. string (G01V7/08 - G01V7/12 take precedence; measuring resonant frequency of mechanical vibrations G01H13/00; measuring frequency per se G01R23/00)} - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract An atomic gravimeter device includes one or more lasers and three or more atomic sources. The three or more atomic sources are disposed to launch or drop atoms vertically. The one or more lasers are disposed to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms. A measured value is determined for gravity using interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An atomic gravimeter device, comprising: one or more lasers; and three or more atomic sources, wherein the three or more atomic sources are disposed to launch or drop atoms vertically, wherein the one or more lasers are disposed to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms, wherein a measured value is determined for gravity using interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources, wherein a sequence of three or more laser pulses interrogate each set of atoms from each atomic source of the three or more atomic sources, wherein the three or more laser pulses provided to each atomic source occur in a sequence of a sequence 1 laser pulse, a sequence 2 laser pulse, and sequence 3 laser pulse, each separated by a time T, wherein a start of the sequence for the three or more laser pulses is staggered for the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more lasers comprise one or more interrogation laser beams, each interrogation laser beam providing interrogation laser pulses to one or more of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more lasers comprise one laser providing interrogation laser pulses to all of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein the three or more laser pulses are evenly spaced in time with period T. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein a pulse within the sequence of the three or more laser pulses is applied simultaneously to interrogate sets of atoms of each of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein the three or more atomic sources are enclosed in a single vacuum chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, further comprising a state preparation laser for preparing a quantum state of the set of atoms after the set of atoms is launched or dropped from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, further comprising a state detector for measuring a quantum state of the set of atoms after interrogating the set of atoms with an interferometer laser pulse sequence. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 8, wherein a measurement of the quantum state of the set of atoms comprises an acceleration measurement of an acceleration of the set of atoms. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 8, wherein three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms comprises a continuous measurement of the acceleration of gravity over a duration of the three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein an acceleration measurement of the acceleration of atoms is determined once per launch or drop from each atomic source of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 1, wherein the measured value for gravity is determined by averaging measurements of the acceleration of atoms from the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 13 A method for measuring using an atomic gravimeter device, comprising: causing three or more atomic sources to launch or drop atoms vertically; and causing one or more lasers to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms, wherein a measured value is determined for gravity based on interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources, wherein a sequence of three or more laser pulses interrogate each set of atoms from each atomic source of the three or more atomic sources, wherein the three or more laser pulses provided to each atomic source occur in a sequence of a sequence 1 laser pulse, a sequence 2 laser pulse, and sequence 3 laser pulse, each separated by a time T, wherein a start of the sequence for the three or more laser pulses is staggered for the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 14 A computer program product for measuring using an atomic gravimeter device, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for: causing three or more atomic sources to launch or drop atoms vertically; and causing one or more lasers to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms, wherein a measured value is determined for gravity based on interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources, wherein a sequence of three or more laser pulses interrogate each set of atoms from each atomic source of the three or more atomic sources, wherein the three or more laser pulses provided to each atomic source occur in a sequence of a sequence 1 laser pulse, a sequence 2 laser pulse, and sequence 3 laser pulse, each separated by a time T, wherein a start of the sequence for the three or more laser pulses is staggered for the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 15 An atomic gravimeter device, comprising: one or more lasers; three or more atomic sources, wherein the three or more atomic sources are disposed to launch or drop atoms vertically, wherein the one or more lasers are disposed to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms, wherein a measured value is determined for gravity using interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources; and a state detector for measuring a quantum state of the set of atoms after interrogating the set of atoms with an interferometer laser pulse sequence, wherein three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms comprises a continuous measurement of the acceleration of gravity over a duration of the three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein the one or more lasers comprise one or more interrogation laser beams, each interrogation laser beam providing interrogation laser pulses to one or more of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein the one or more lasers comprise one laser providing interrogation laser pulses to all of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein a sequence of three or more laser pulses interrogate each set of atoms from each atomic source of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 18, wherein the three or more laser pulses are evenly spaced in time with period T. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 18, wherein a pulse within the sequence of the three or more laser pulses is applied simultaneously to interrogate sets of atoms of each of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 18, wherein the three or more laser pulses provided to each atomic source occur in a sequence of a sequence 1 laser pulse, a sequence 2 laser pulse, and sequence 3 laser pulse, each separated by a time T. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 21, wherein a start of the sequence for the three or more laser pulses is staggered for the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein the three or more atomic sources are enclosed in a single vacuum chamber. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, further comprising a state preparation laser for preparing a quantum state of the set of atoms after the set of atoms is launched or dropped from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein a measurement of the quantum state of the set of atoms comprises an acceleration measurement of an acceleration of the set of atoms. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein an acceleration measurement of the acceleration of atoms is determined once per launch or drop from each atomic source of the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) The atomic gravimeter device of claim 15, wherein the measured value for gravity is determined by averaging measurements of the acceleration of atoms from the three or more atomic sources. ### Claim 28 A method for measuring using an atomic gravimeter device, comprising: causing three or more atomic sources to launch or drop atoms vertically; causing one or more lasers to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms, wherein a measured value is determined for gravity based on interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources; and causing a state detector to measure a quantum state of the set of atoms after interrogating the set of atoms with an interferometer laser pulse sequence, wherein three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms comprises a continuous measurement of the acceleration of gravity over a duration of the three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms. ### Claim 29 A computer program product for measuring using an atomic gravimeter device, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for: causing three or more atomic sources to launch or drop atoms vertically; causing one or more lasers to generate laser beams that interact with sets of atoms from an atomic source of the three or more atomic sources to measure accelerations of the sets of atoms, wherein a measured value is determined for gravity based on interwoven acceleration measurements of the sets of atoms from the three or more atomic sources; and causing a state detector to measure a quantum state of the set of atoms after interrogating the set of atoms with an interferometer laser pulse sequence, wherein three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms comprises a continuous measurement of the acceleration of gravity over a duration of the three measurements of the quantum state of the set of atoms.