Light-pulse atom interferometric device
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsGrant Biedermann, Hayden James Evans McGuinness, Akash Rakholia, Yuan-Yu Jau, Peter Schwindt, David R. Wheeler
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Abstract
An atomic interferometric device useful, e.g., for measuring acceleration or rotation is provided. The device comprises at least one vapor cell containing a Raman-active chemical species, an optical system, and at least one detector. The optical system is conformed to implement a Raman pulse interferometer in which Raman transitions are stimulated in a warm vapor of the Raman-active chemical species. The detector is conformed to detect changes in the populations of different internal states of atoms that have been irradiated by the optical system.
Claims22
Apparatus comprising an atomic interferometer of the kind in which an optical system stimulates Raman or single-photon transitions in an atomic population of a chemical species that has a metastable optically excited state and in which changes in the populations of different internal states of atoms of the chemical species are detected, wherein the atomic interferometer comprises:
- a vapor cell;
- a vapor source situated within the vapor cell and conformed to provide a warm atomic vapor of the chemical species;
- at least one Raman laser controllable so as to irradiate the warm atomic vapor with optical pulses that stimulate Raman or single-photon transitions in atoms of the warm atomic vapor, thereby populating a metastable optically excited state;
- and
- at least one detection system conformed to detect changes in the population of the metastable optically excited state.
A method for making inertial measurements, comprising:
- irradiating a warm atomic vapor with a sequence of laser pulses that are adapted to stimulate Raman or single-photon transitions in atoms of the warm atomic vapor and thereby to populate a metastable optically excited state;
- and
- detecting changes in the population of the metastable optically excited state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.