Patent ID: 11085944

Abstract:
An accelerometer includes a vacuum chamber to receive a laser beam and a nanoparticle. The nanoparticle is trapped in an oscillating state in a focus of the laser beam. A processor calculates an acceleration of the nanoparticle based on changes in position of an oscillating nanoparticle. A plurality of photodetectors are spaced apart to identify spatial coordinates of the oscillating nanoparticle. The processor may calculate the acceleration of the nanoparticle based on changes in the spatial coordinates of the oscillating nanoparticle and a frequency of oscillation of the nanoparticle within the vacuum chamber. The nanoparticle may have a diameter of a predetermined size and is trapped in the focus of the laser beam based on a polarizability of the nanoparticle. The diameter of the predetermined size of the nanoparticle may be smaller than a wavelength of the laser beam.