Quantum inertial measurement unit and method for acquiring at least one physical measured quantity

A quantum inertial measurement unit for acquiring at least one physical measured quantity based on atom-interferometric acceleration measurement, comprising:

• a) at least one atom trap configured to capture an atomic cloud,
• b) at least one controllable splitting device configured to create a plurality of macroscopic atomic sub-clouds in a defined geometric arrangement, wherein the plurality of macroscopic atomic sub-clouds are spatially separated from one another, wherein the at least one splitting device is operable in combination with cold or ultracold quantum gases depending on at least one control signal in the atomic cloud captured in the atom trap,
• c) at least one atomic optical light field device configured to carry out an atom-interferometric one-dimensional acceleration measurement based on the created plurality of macroscopic atomic sub-clouds, wherein an acceleration value is determined for each macroscopic atomic sub-cloud of the plurality of macroscopic atomic sub-clouds, and
• d) at least one evaluation device configured to determine a physical measured quantity other than the measured one-dimensional acceleration values from the plurality of one-dimensional acceleration values obtained by the at least one atomic optical light field device.