Aosense, Inc.

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Adam T Black

Todd Gustavson

Mark A Kasevich

Michael R Matthews

Martin M Boyd

Miao Zhu

Micah Ledbetter

Brian R Patton

Miroslav Y Shverdin

Thomas H Loftus

Igor Teper

Brenton C Young

Mark Bashkansky

Matthew Todd Cashen

Thang Q Tran

Alexander F Sugarbaker

Artyom Vitouchkine

Leo W Hollberg

Brent C Young

Matthew D Swallows

Akash Rakholia

Charles Fancher

Jonathan Kwolek

Todd L Gustavson

Method and apparatus for producing a cooled atom beam suitable for use applications requiring cold atoms. A two-stage cooling process is employed in which the atoms in the atom beam are cooled in two, spatially separated regions of a cooling apparatus, wherein the atoms are first cooled in two dimensions by two counterpropagating laser beams under a magnetic field and then are cooled in three dimensions by means of an optical molasses, where the power, frequency, and magnetic fields are tuned to obtain a continuous beam of three-dimensionally cooled atoms having a controllable velocity distribution, very low decoherence, and low background atomic gas loss.

Continuous, velocity-controlled three-dimensionally laser-cooled atom beam source with low fluorescence

A high bandwidth gravimeter or accelerometer includes laser(s), modulator(s), and an atomic interferometer. The laser(s) and modulator(s) produce four laser frequencies. A first and second pair of laser frequencies are each separated by w. The first and second pair are offset by w. A first laser frequency of the first pair and a second laser frequency of the second pair are separated by w+w. A second laser frequency of the first pair and a first laser frequency of the second pair are separated by w&#x2212;w. The first pair is routed to arrive from a first direction at atoms in an interaction region, and the second pair from a second direction. The first pair are phase stable with respect to the second pair. wis adjusted so that w+wor w&#x2212;wcorresponds to a Raman resonance for the atomic interferometer.

High-bandwidth atom-interferometric gravimetry and accelerometry

An atomic oscillator device includes an atomic oscillator, a controlled oscillator, a resonance controller, and a cold-atom clock output. The atomic oscillator comprises a two-dimensional optical cooling region (2D OCR) for providing a source of atoms and a three-dimensional optical cooling region (3D OCR) for cooling and/or trapping the atoms emitted by the 2D OCR. The atomic oscillator comprises a microwave cavity surrounding the 3D OCR for exciting an atomic resonance. The controlled oscillator produces an output frequency. The resonance controller is for steering the output frequency of the controlled oscillator based on the output frequency and the atomic resonance as measured using an atomic resonance measurement. The cold-atom clock output is configured as being the output frequency of the controlled oscillator.

Architecture for compact cold atom clocks

A device for preparing an ensemble of laser-cooled atoms and measuring their population includes a laser and a set of reflecting surfaces. The laser is able to produce a laser beam. The set of reflecting surfaces disposed to direct the laser beam along a multi-dimensional beam path to intersect a central space multiple times from different directions and retroreflect the laser beam to retrace the multi-dimensional beam path. The central space is able to have an ensemble of atoms or molecules. The atoms or the molecules are able to be cooled along one or more dimensions by the laser beam sent along the multi-dimensional beam path and able to be detected in the central space by an effect upon the laser beam sent along the multi-dimensional beam path.

Integrated optical detection for atomic clocks and sensors

A light pulse interferometer includes a first atom source and a first laser. The first atom source is configured to direct a first group of atoms in a first direction. The first laser is configured to generate one or more interferometer laser beam pairs. The one or more interferometer laser beam pairs interact with the first group of atoms in an interferometer sequence of three or more pulses to produce atom interference. A first laser beam pair of the one or more interferometer laser beam pairs is disposed to interact with the first group of atoms to perform 1D-cooling and velocity control of the first group of atoms prior to the interferometer sequence.

Light pulse atom interferometer velocity reference

A system for gravity measurement includes one or more atom sources, two or more laser beams, and a polarizing beamsplitter and a retro-reflection prism assembly. The one or more atom sources is to provide three ensembles of atoms. The two or more laser beams is to cool or interrogate the three ensembles of atoms. The polarizing beamsplitter and the retro-reflection prism assembly are in a racetrack configuration. The racetrack configuration routes the two or more laser beams in opposing directions around a loop topology, intersecting the three ensembles of atoms with appropriate polarizations chosen for cooling or interferometer interrogation. The three ensembles of atoms are positioned coaxially when interrogated.

Gradiometer configuration invariant to laser phase noise and sensor rotations

A system for controlling a phase measurement in an atom interferometer comprising one or more lasers, a processor, and a memory. The one or more lasers are for providing interrogating beams. A first cloud of atoms and a second cloud of atoms traverse an interrogating region of the atom interferometer in substantially opposite directions. The interrogating beams interact substantially simultaneously with both atoms in the first cloud and atoms in the second cloud. The first cloud of atoms and the second cloud of atoms interact with each of the interrogating beams in a different order. The processor is configured to determine a phase adjustment offset of at least one interrogating beam based at least in part on one or more past interactions of one or more interrogating beams with either the first cloud of atoms or the second cloud of atoms.

Phase control for dual atom interferometers

A system for controlling a phase measurement in an atom interferometer comprising one or more lasers, a processor, and a memory. The one or more lasers are for providing interrogating beams. A first group of atoms and a second group of atoms traverse an interrogating region of the atom interferometer in substantially opposite directions. The interrogating beams interact substantially simultaneously with both atoms in the first group and atoms in the second group. The first group of atoms and the second group of atoms interact with each of the interrogating beams in a different order. The processor is configured to determine a phase adjustment offset of at least one interrogating beam based at least in part on one or more past interactions of one or more interrogating beams with either the first group of atoms or the second group of atoms.

The device for producing laser-cooled atoms comprises a two dimensional trap or a three-dimensional trap, or a combination of two- and three-dimensional traps. The two-dimensional trap comprises: three or more permanent magnets arranged around a perimeter of a loop, wherein a plane of the loop is perpendicular to a free axis of the two-dimensional atom trap, and the three or more permanent magnets bracket an internal volume of the two-dimensional atom trap; and one or more laser beam input ports enabling access for one or more laser beams to the internal volume of the two-dimensional atom trap.

Growing community of inventors

Annandale, VA, United States of America

Adam T Black