EXPANSION AND STABILITY ANALYSIS OF A DUAL ATOMIC BEAM GYROSCOPE

Abstract

Modern Naval vessels utilize Inertial Navigation System (INS) as a navigation tool. Roll, pitch, and yaw data, commonly referred to as attitude data, require onboard gyroscopes and accelerometers. Many weapon systems such as the Navy’s Standard Missile (SM) family require inertial navigation data for operation. Current inertial navigation data for linear acceleration is provided by accelerometers, and rotational acceleration data by optical gyroscopes. However, there are inherent sensitivity limitations to these systems that are fundamentally related to the properties of measuring acceleration changes with a massless photon. If an INS system is being used as a primary method of navigation, it does not have the ability to be checked against another source to reset the drift. This happens when operating in a GPS-denied environment or other situations. Atom interferometry shows promise to provide both linear and rotational data simultaneously with an increase in sensitivity by orders of magnitude relative to current systems, all while being less affected by drift due to the intrinsic characteristics of the atoms which, by definition, do not change over time. Improving the attitude data that INS have access to will significantly enhance both the duration of time they are accurate, and the degree to which they maintain accuracy. This research will continue to investigate the physics of atom interferometry, and the application of this technology as an accelerometer and gyroscope.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States Nav