US 12,242,019 B2
Quantum gravimeters and gradiometers
Ivette Fuentes Guridi, Nottingham (GB); Dennis Rätzel, Vienna (AT); Tupac Bravo Ibarra, Vienna (AT); and David Edward Bruschi, Nottingham (GB)
Assigned to The University of Nottingham, Nottingham (GB); and University of Vienna, Vienna (AT)
Appl. No. 17/596,523
Filed by The University of Nottingham, Nottingham (GB); and University of Vienna, Viennna (AT)
PCT Filed Jun. 12, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/051434
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 13, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/249974, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1908538 (GB), filed on Jun. 13, 2019; and application No. 2000112 (GB), filed on Jan. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0171089 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G01V 7/02 (2006.01); G01P 15/08 (2006.01); G01V 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 7/02 (2013.01) [G01P 15/08 (2013.01); G01V 7/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of measuring an acceleration due to a gravitational field using one or more Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs),
wherein the one or more BECs, include:
a first atomic field mode comprising collective oscillations within the one or more BECs propagating in a first direction, wherein the first atomic field mode is a phonon mode; and
a second atomic field mode comprising collective oscillations within the one or more BECs propagating in a second direction different to the first direction, wherein the second atomic field mode is a phonon mode;
wherein the first atomic field mode and the second atomic field mode are linearly independent modes, such that the acceleration causes the first atomic field mode and the second atomic field mode to have a different effective length;
wherein the method comprises:
measuring a phase difference between the first atomic field mode and the second atomic field mode within the one or more BECs, the phase difference resulting from an effect of the acceleration on the linearly independent modes of the first and second atomic field modes; and
using the measured phase difference to measure the acceleration due to the gravitational field.