An atomic beam is irradiated with a first, a second, and a third laser beam. The first laser beam and the third laser beam each have a wavelength corresponding to a transition between a ground state and a first excited state. The second laser beam has a wavelength corresponding to a transition between the ground state and a second excited state. First, atoms each having a smaller velocity component than a predetermined velocity in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the atomic beam are changed from the ground state to the first excited state by the first laser beam. Subsequently, a momentum is provided for individual atoms in the ground state by the second laser beam, which removes the atoms from the atomic beam. Finally, atoms in the first excited state are returned from the first excited state to the ground state by the third laser beam.

The present invention reduces measurement time. A gyroscope of the present invention includes a planar ion trap part, a microwave irradiation part, a laser irradiation part and a measurement part. The planar ion trap part includes two rf electrodes and two DC electrode rows, and forms ion traps that trap one ion on a substrate, a normal direction of the surface of the planar ion trap part corresponds to a z direction. The rf electrodes are disposed in the x direction on the substrate at a predetermined interval. The DC electrode rows are disposed in the x direction on the substrate so as to sandwich the two rf electrodes. The DC electrode rows each include at least five DC electrodes in the x direction. The trapped ions are spaced so as not to interfere with each other. The microwave irradiation part irradiates the ions with π/2 microwave pulses.

The present invention reduces measurement time. A gyroscope of the present invention includes a planar ion trap part, a microwave irradiation part, a laser irradiation part and a measurement part. The planar ion trap part includes two rf electrodes and two DC electrode rows, and forms ion traps that trap one ion on a substrate, a normal direction of the surface of the planar ion trap part corresponds to a z direction. The rf electrodes are disposed in the x direction on the substrate at a predetermined interval. The DC electrode rows are disposed in the x direction on the substrate so as to sandwich the two rf electrodes. The DC electrode rows each include at least five DC electrodes in the x direction. The trapped ions are spaced so as not to interfere with each other. The microwave irradiation part irradiates the ions with π/2 microwave pulses.

A lens curvature variation apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a liquid lens including a common electrode and a plurality of individual electrodes; a lens driver configured to apply a voltage to the common electrode and the plurality of individual electrodes; a sensor unit configured to sense an interface of the liquid lens; an AD converter configured to convert an analog signal corresponding to the interface output from the sensor unit into a digital signal; and a controller configured to control the lens driver based on a signal output from the AD converter, wherein the plurality of individual electrodes includes a first group and a second group each including two or more individual electrodes, wherein the sensor unit includes a first sensor unit connected to a first individual electrode among individual electrodes of the first group; and a second sensor unit connected to a second individual electrode among individual electrodes of the second group; and wherein the controller includes a controller for controlling the lens driver to adjust the voltage applied to each of the individual electrodes included in the first group and the second group based on the signal output from the AD converter.

Improvements to atom interferometers. An improved atom interferometer has a single polarization-preserving fiber, coupled for propagation of beams of two Raman frequencies, and a parallel displacement beamsplitter for separating the laser beams into respective free-space-propagating parallel beams traversing at least one ensemble of atoms. A reflector generates one or more beams counterpropagating through the ensemble of atoms. Other improvements include interposing a beam-splitting surface common to a plurality of parallel pairs of beams counterpropagating through the ensemble of atoms, generating interference fringes between reflections of the beams to generate a detector signal; and processing the detector signal to derive at least one of relative phase and relative alignment between respective pairs of the counterpropagating beams.

An atomic interferometer and methods for measuring phase shifts in interference fringes using the same. The atomic interferometer has a laser beam traversing an ensemble of atoms along a first path and an optical components train with at least one alignment-insensitive beam routing element configured to reflect the laser beam along a second path that is anti-parallel with respect to the first laser beam path. Any excursion from parallelism of the second beam path with respect to the first is rigorously independent of variation of the first laser beam path in yaw parallel to an underlying plane.

An atom interferometer that utilizes two counterpropagating continuous 3D-cooled atom beams which are directed into a vacuum chamber. Momentum-transfer laser (MTL) beams are directed into the atom beams to produce a predetermined recoil and subsequently generate an interference signal that is read by a photodetector and analyzed by a processor to provide information regarding inertial forces such as acceleration and rotation rate. Reversal of the recoil direction of the MTL beams allows for the suppression of errors in the measurement of the inertial forces.

An atom interferometer that utilizes two counterpropagating continuous 3D-cooled atom beams which are directed into a vacuum chamber. Momentum-transfer laser (MTL) beams are directed into the atom beams to produce a predetermined recoil and subsequently generate an interference signal that is read by a photodetector and analyzed by a processor to provide information regarding inertial forces such as acceleration and rotation rate. Reversal of the recoil direction of the MTL beams allows for the suppression of errors in the measurement of the inertial forces.

An inertial measurement apparatus based on atom interferometry. In one example, the inertial measurement apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, first and second atom capture sites housed within the vacuum chamber, each of the first and second atom capture sites being selectively configured to trap and cool first and second atom samples of distinct atom species, an atom interferometry region disposed between the first and second atom capture sites, and first and second atom interferometers operating in the atom interferometry region, the first atom interferometer being configured to generate a first measurement corresponding to a common inertial input based on the first atom sample, and the second atom interferometer being configured to generate a second measurement corresponding to the same common inertial input based on the second atom sample.

An inertial measurement apparatus based on atom interferometry. In one example, the inertial measurement apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, first and second atom capture sites housed within the vacuum chamber, each of the first and second atom capture sites being selectively configured to trap and cool first and second atom samples of distinct atom species, an atom interferometry region disposed between the first and second atom capture sites, and first and second atom interferometers operating in the atom interferometry region, the first atom interferometer being configured to generate a first measurement corresponding to a common inertial input based on the first atom sample, and the second atom interferometer being configured to generate a second measurement corresponding to the same common inertial input based on the second atom sample.