Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. Method of measurement by atomic interferometry, in which each session of measurements is executed with at least two sets of atoms (11, 12) each subjected to conditions of formation of atomic interference,the atoms of each set of atoms (11, 12) being of a species dedicated to said set of atoms and different from the species of atoms of each other set of atoms,method in which, for each session of measurements, said conditions are produced for each set of atoms (11, 12) throughout a volume that is associated with said set of atoms and that contains at least one point in common with the volume associated with each other set of atoms, and are produced between a start time point and an end time point respectively before and after an intermediate time point common to all the sets of atoms,and in which a measurement result (P11, P12) is obtained in each session of measurements independently for each set of atoms (11, 12), each measurement result varying according to a first function of a total phase shift that appeared for the corresponding set of atoms during formation of the atomic interference, said total phase shift comprising a sum of a second function of an external parameter (a) a value of which is sought and of a constant phase shift that is undergone by the corresponding set of atoms during said formation of the atomic interference,the method being comprising the following steps:/1/ during a session of measurements, applying a value for at least one operating parameter, called internal parameter and making it possible to control a difference between the constant phase shifts to which the two sets of atoms are respectively subjected, the value applied for said at least one internal parameter being such that a difference between the total phase shifts that the two sets of atoms (11, 12) undergo, respectively, is between Π/4 and 3Π/4 in absolute value and modulo Π;/2/ for each measurement result (P11, P12) obtained for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12) in said session of measurements, determining a derivative value of said measurement result with respect to the external parameter (a), said derivative being evaluated for said measurement result;/3/ selecting that one of the sets of atoms (11, 12) for which the derivative value determined in step /2/ is largest in absolute value; and/4/ calculating the value of the external parameter (a) from the measurement result (P11, P12) obtained in step /2/ for the set of atoms selected in step /3/. 2. Method according to claim 1, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises at least one amplitude of a phase jump introduced between two pulses of laser radiation that are used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), at least one rate of variation of a frequency of laser radiation that is used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms, or an intensity and a gradient of a magnetic field that is applied to the sets of atoms during the formation of the atomic interferences, or a combination of several among said at least one amplitude of phase jump, said at least one rate of variation of frequency of laser radiation and said magnetic field intensity and gradient. 3. Method according to claim 1, in which the value applied for said at least one internal parameter is such that the difference between the total phase shifts that the two sets of atoms (11, 12) undergo, respectively, is between 15Π/32 and 17Π/32, in absolute value and modulo Π,and in which, for that one of the sets of atoms (11, 12) that is selected in step /3/, the first function is replaced with an affine function of the total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference for the selected set of atoms, in a whole interval of values having a length of interval greater than or equal to 3Π/8, and which contains said total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference. 4. Method according to claim 1, in which the first function has the expression P=P0·[1−C×cos(ΔΦtot)] for each set of atoms (11, 12), where P denotes the measurement result, ΔΦtot is the total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference for said set of atoms, and P0 and C are two non-zero numbers. 5. Method according to claim 1, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises an amplitude of a phase jump introduced between two pulses of laser radiation that are used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises a term proportional to the amplitude of the phase jump. 6. Method according to claim 1, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises a rate of variation of frequency of laser radiation that is used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises the term −2Π×α×T2 where T is a base time for a sequence of interactions between the atoms and photons that is implemented to form the atomic interference of said set of atoms, and α is the rate of variation of frequency of the laser radiation. 7. Method according to claim 1, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises an intensity and a gradient of a magnetic field that is applied to the sets of atoms (11, 12) during the formation of the atomic interferences, and the constant phase shift that is undergone by each set of atoms comprises the term (Aat/Mat)×B0×B1×ℏ×k ×T2, where B0 and B1 are the intensity and the gradient of the magnetic field respectively, T is a base time for a sequence of interactions between the atoms and photons that is implemented to form the atomic interference for said set of atoms, k is a modulus of a momentum received or transferred by one of the atoms during each interaction between the atoms and the photons, divided by ℏ=h/(2Π) where h is Planck's constant, and Aat/Mat is a coefficient that depends on the species of atoms. 8. Apparatus for measurement by atomic interferometry comprising:a source of atoms (100) suitable for producing at least two sets of atoms (11, 12), with the atoms of each set of atoms that are of a species dedicated to said set of atoms and different from the species of atoms of each other set of atoms;means (101-103) suitable for producing conditions of atomic interference for each set of atoms (11, 12), so that said conditions are produced for each set of atoms throughout a volume that is associated with said set of atoms and that contains at least one point in common with the volume associated with each other set of atoms, and produced between a start time point and an end time point respectively before and after an intermediate time point that is common to all the sets of atoms, so as to constitute a session of measurements;a detection device arranged for providing measurement results (P11, P12) respectively and independently for all the sets of atoms (11, 12) of each session of measurements; andan analysis unit suitable for calculating at least one value of an external parameter (a) from each measurement result (P11, P12),in which each measurement result (P11, P12) varies according to a first function of a total phase shift that appeared for the corresponding set of atoms during the formation of the atomic interference, said total phase shift comprising a sum of a second function of the external parameter (a) the value of which is sought and of a constant phase shift that is undergone by the corresponding set of atoms during said formation of the atomic interference,the apparatus being applying, during each session of measurements, a value for at least one operating parameter, called an internal parameter and making it possible to control a difference between the constant phase shifts that the two sets of atoms (11, 12) undergo, respectively, so that a difference between the total phase shifts to which the two sets of atoms are subjected respectively, is between Π/4 and 3Π/4, in absolute value and modulo Π;and the analysis unit is suitable for executing steps /2/ to /4/ of a method of measurement by atomic interferometry according to claim 1. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which, for each session of measurements, the conditions of atomic interferences are produced for all the sets of atoms (11, 12) using a single laser source assembly (102, 103), common to said sets of atoms. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8, forming an accelerometer, a gravimeter or a gyrometer. 11. Method according to claim 2, in which the value applied for said at least one internal parameter is such that the difference between the total phase shifts that the two sets of atoms (11, 12) undergo, respectively, is between 15Π/32 and 17Π/32, in absolute value and modulo Π,and in which, for that one of the sets of atoms (11, 12) that is selected in step /3/, the first function is replaced with an affine function of the total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference for the selected set of atoms, in a whole interval of values having a length of interval greater than or equal to 3Π/8, and which contains said total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference. 12. Method according to claim 2, in which the first function has the expression P=P0·[1−C×cos(ΔΦtot)] for each set of atoms (11, 12), where P denotes the measurement result, ΔΦtot is the total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference for said set of atoms, and P0 and C are two non-zero numbers. 13. Method according to claim 3, in which the first function has the expression P=P0·[1−C×cos(ΔΦtot)] for each set of atoms (11, 12), where P denotes the measurement result, ΔΦtot is the total phase shift that appeared during the formation of the atomic interference for said set of atoms, and P0 and C are two non-zero numbers. 14. Method according to claim 2, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises an amplitude of a phase jump introduced between two pulses of laser radiation that are used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises a term proportional to the amplitude of the phase jump. 15. Method according to claim 3, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises an amplitude of a phase jump introduced between two pulses of laser radiation that are used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises a term proportional to the amplitude of the phase jump. 16. Method according to claim 4, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises an amplitude of a phase jump introduced between two pulses of laser radiation that are used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises a term proportional to the amplitude of the phase jump. 17. Method according to claim 2, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises a rate of variation of frequency of laser radiation that is used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises the term −2Π×α×T2, where T is a base time for a sequence of interactions between the atoms and photons that is implemented to form the atomic interference of said set of atoms, and α is the rate of variation of frequency of the laser radiation. 18. Method according to claim 3, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises a rate of variation of frequency of laser radiation that is used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises the term −2Π×α×T2, where T is a base time for a sequence of interactions between the atoms and photons that is implemented to form the atomic interference of said set of atoms, and α is the rate of variation of frequency of the laser radiation. 19. Method according to claim 4, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises a rate of variation of frequency of laser radiation that is used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises the term −2Π×α×T2, where T is a base time for a sequence of interactions between the atoms and photons that is implemented to form the atomic interference of said set of atoms, and α is the rate of variation of frequency of the laser radiation. 20. Method according to claim 5, in which said at least one internal parameter comprises a rate of variation of frequency of laser radiation that is used to form the atomic interference for one of the sets of atoms (11, 12), and the constant phase shift that is undergone by said set of atoms comprises the term −2Π×α×T2, where T is a base time for a sequence of interactions between the atoms and photons that is implemented to form the atomic interference of said set of atoms, and α is the rate of variation of frequency of the laser radiation.