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arXiv · 2202.12021

Development of a compact high-resolution absolute gravity gradiometer based on atom interferometers

Wei Lyu·Jia-Qi Zhong·Xiao-Wei Zhang·Wu Liu·Lei Zhu·Wei-Hao Xu·Xi Chen·Biao Tang·Jin Wang·Ming-Sheng Zhan
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Abstract

We present a compact high-resolution gravity gradiometer based on dual Rb-85 atom interferometers using stimulated Raman transitions. A baseline L=44.5 cm and an interrogation time T=130 ms are realized in a sensor head with volume of less than 100 liters. Experimental parameters are optimized to improve the short-term sensitivity while a rejection algorithm relying on inversion of the Raman wave vector is implemented to improve the long-term stability. After an averaging time of 17000 s, a phase resolution of 104 {\mu}rad is achieved, which corresponds to a gravity gradient resolution of 0.86 E. As far as we know, this is the sub-E atom gravity gradiometer with the highest level of compactness to date. After the evaluation and correction of system errors induced by light shift, residual Zeeman shift, Coriolis effect and self-attraction effect, the instrument serves as an absolute gravity gradiometer and with it the local gravity gradient is measured to be 3114 (53) E.

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Wei Lyu, Jia-Qi Zhong, Xiao-Wei Zhang, Wu Liu, Lei Zhu, Wei-Hao Xu, Xi Chen, Biao Tang, Jin Wang, Ming-Sheng Zhan. 2022-02-24. Development of a compact high-resolution absolute gravity gradiometer based on atom interferometers. https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.12021

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