Enhancing the sensitivity of atom-interferometric inertial sensors using robust control

Jack C. Saywell, Max S. Carey, Philip S. Light, Stuart S. Szigeti, Alistair R. Milne, Karandeep S. Gill, Matthew L. Goh, Viktor S. Perunicic, Nathanial M. Wilson, Calum D. Macrae, Alexander Rischka, Patrick J. Everitt, Nicholas P. Robins, Russell P. Anderson (), Michael R. Hush and Michael J. Biercuk
Additional contact information
Jack C. Saywell: Q-CTRL
Max S. Carey: Q-CTRL
Philip S. Light: Q-CTRL
Stuart S. Szigeti: Q-CTRL
Alistair R. Milne: Q-CTRL
Karandeep S. Gill: Q-CTRL
Matthew L. Goh: Q-CTRL
Viktor S. Perunicic: Q-CTRL
Nathanial M. Wilson: Q-CTRL
Calum D. Macrae: Q-CTRL
Alexander Rischka: Q-CTRL
Patrick J. Everitt: Q-CTRL
Nicholas P. Robins: Q-CTRL
Russell P. Anderson: Q-CTRL
Michael R. Hush: Q-CTRL
Michael J. Biercuk: Q-CTRL

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Atom-interferometric quantum sensors could revolutionize navigation, civil engineering, and Earth observation. However, operation in real-world environments is challenging due to external interference, platform noise, and constraints on size, weight, and power. Here we experimentally demonstrate that tailored light pulses designed using robust control techniques mitigate significant error sources in an atom-interferometric accelerometer. To mimic the effect of unpredictable lateral platform motion, we apply laser-intensity noise that varies up to 20% from pulse-to-pulse. Our robust control solution maintains performant sensing, while the utility of conventional pulses collapses. By measuring local gravity, we show that our robust pulses preserve interferometer scale factor and improve measurement precision by 10× in the presence of this noise. We further validate these enhancements by measuring applied accelerations over a 200 μg range up to 21× more precisely at the highest applied noise level. Our demonstration provides a pathway to improved atom-interferometric inertial sensing in real-world settings.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43374-0

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