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arXiv · 2403.08762

Multi-axis inertial sensing with 2D matter-wave arrays

K. Stolzenberg·C. Struckmann·S. Bode·R. Li·A. Herbst·V. Vollenkemper·D. Thomas·A. Rajagopalan·E. M. Rasel·N. Gaaloul·D. Schlippert
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Abstract

Atom interferometery is an exquisite measurement technique sensitive to inertial forces. However, it is commonly limited to a single sensitive axis, allowing high-precision multi-dimensional sensing only through subsequent or post-corrected measurements. We report on a novel method for multi-axis inertial sensing based on the correlation of simultaneous light-pulse atom interferometers in 2D array arrangements of Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC). Deploying a scalable 3 x 3 BEC array spanning 1.6 mm^2 created using time-averaged optical potentials, we perform measurements of linear acceleration induced by gravity and simultaneously demonstrate sensitivity to angular velocity and acceleration of a rotating reference mirror, as well as gravity gradients and higher-order derivatives. Our work enables simple, high-precision multi-axis inertial sensing compatible with high rotation rates, e.g., for inertial navigation in dynamic environments. We finally envision further applications of our method, e.g., 3D in-situ measurements and reconstruction of laser beam intensities and wave fronts.

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K. Stolzenberg, C. Struckmann, S. Bode, R. Li, A. Herbst, V. Vollenkemper, D. Thomas, A. Rajagopalan, E. M. Rasel, N. Gaaloul, D. Schlippert. 2024-03-13. Multi-axis inertial sensing with 2D matter-wave arrays. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.134.143601

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