Patent ID: 9062973
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: G01C,G01R

Abstract:
1. An atom beam gyroscope system comprising: an atom beam system configured to generate an atom beam comprising alkali metal atoms along a length of a detection region orthogonal to a sensitive axis; a detection system comprising a detection laser and a photodetector, the detection laser being configured to generate an optical detection beam that illuminates the detection region to pump the alkali metal atoms, and the photodetector being configured to measure an optical absorption of the optical detection beam by the alkali metal atoms in the atom beam and to generate an intensity signal associated with the measured optical absorption; and a gyroscope sensor configured to calculate rotation of the atom beam gyroscope system about the sensitive axis based on a magnitude of the intensity signal due to a Doppler-shift in energy of the alkali metal atoms in the atom beam.