Diverging Waveguide Atomic Gyroscope Scale Factor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Atomic gyroscopes face challenges in miniaturization without compromising scale factor or stability, as their scale factor typically suffers when reduced in size.
Innovation Solution
A diverging optical waveguide is used to create a trap and guide for atoms above its surface, allowing them to traverse a circular path for interference, maintaining scale factor in a smaller area through the use of blue- and red-detuned laser lights that generate evanescent fields for potential minimum/well formation, suspending atoms without physical contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the size of atomic interferometer is reduced for miniaturization, then device size is decreased, but scale factor deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional horizontal interferometer layouts to a vertical configuration where atoms travel along the surface of an optical waveguide. This dimensional change allows the interferometer to achieve a large effective area for scale factor while maintaining a compact footprint, as the atomic path can extend vertically and laterally in three-dimensional space rather than being constrained to a planar layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds the atomic interferometer pathway within the optical waveguide structure itself. The waveguide acts as both the confining potential for atoms and the optical pathway guide, creating a nested configuration where the atomic trajectory is contained within or along the waveguide structure, maximizing space utilization and maintaining compact device volume.
2Reliability
If blue-detuned and red-detuned laser lights are used to create evanescent fields for atom trapping, then atoms are suspended without physical contact improving stability, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical physical contact trapping with optical evanescent field trapping. Instead of using physical surfaces or mechanical structures to confine and guide atoms, the invention uses the evanescent fields generated by blue-detuned and red-detuned laser lights propagating in the optical waveguide to create a contactless potential well, thereby improving stability by eliminating mechanical interactions and associated noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical waveguide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides the evanescent laser fields that trap atoms, provides the optical pathway for the interferometer, and acts as the structural framework for the entire device. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate trapping mechanisms and structural components, thereby managing device complexity despite the sophisticated trapping mechanism.
3Measurement precision
If evanescent fields are used to suspend atoms, then signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes detuned laser frequencies (blue-detuned and red-detuned relative to the atomic resonance) to generate evanescent fields with specific spatial decay characteristics. By carefully selecting the detuning parameters, the evanescent fields extend sufficiently far from the waveguide surface to trap atoms while maintaining strong confinement, optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio. The detuning also affects the penetration depth and intensity distribution, allowing energy-efficient trapping configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the preservation of scale factor and stability in miniaturized atomic interferometers, allowing for high signal-to-noise ratio and accurate rotation sensing while maintaining a compact device size.
Implementation Method 1
the blue-detuned laser light having a first evanescent field that extends above the surface of the diverging waveguide a first distance, the first evanescent field repelling the atoms away from the surface of the diverging waveguide
Implementation Method 2
the first evanescent field repelling the atoms away from the surface of the diverging waveguide
Implementation Method 3
the red-detuned laser light having a second evanescent field that extends above the surface of the diverging waveguide a second distance that is greater than the first distance, the second evanescent field attracting the atoms toward the surface of the diverging waveguide
Implementation Method 4
the second evanescent field attracting the atoms toward the surface of the diverging waveguide
Implementation Method 5
The first evanescent field and the second evanescent field create a potential minimum/well above the surface of the diverging waveguide, wherein the atoms are suspended in the potential minimum/well
Implementation Method 6
a laser cooling section positioned between the first end of the first section and the second end of the first section, the laser cooling section configured to cool at least a first group of the atoms down in a transverse direction to the first section of the diverging waveguide
Implementation Method 7
a first beam splitter section positioned between the first atomic state initialization section and the first fork section, the first beam splitter section configured to split a quantum mechanical wavefunction of each atom of the at least the first group of the atoms moving in the first longitudinal direction following the potential minimum/well above the surface of the diverging waveguide into a first portion having a first velocity and a second portion having a second velocity different than the first velocity
Implementation Method 8
Utilizing the Sagnac effect, a shift in phase of an atomic wavefunction is calculated. The rotation rate of the gyroscope is proportional to the phase shift of the atomic wavefunction
Data Source
AI summary
Waveguide includes fork with first and second bifurcated ends coupled to loop section and separated by angle determined based on velocities of portions of quantum mechanical wavefunction of atoms traveling above waveguide. Waveguide propagates blue-detuned laser having first evanescent field that repels atoms away from waveguide and red-detuned laser having second evanescent field that attracts atoms toward waveguide, together creating potential minimum/well. Laser cooling atoms, causing atoms positioned in potential minimum/well to move toward first fork section following potential minimum/well. Atomic state initialization section initializes atomic states of atoms to known ground-state configuration. Beam splitter section splits quantum mechanical waveform of each atom above surface of diverging waveguide into first portion at first velocity that travels into first end of first fork section into first loop section and second portion at second velocity that travels into second end of first fork section into first loop section.