US 11,841,404 B1
Vector measurements using a pulsed, optically pumped atomic magnetometer
Peter Schwindt, Albuquerque, NM (US); Joonas Aleksanteri Iivanainen, Albuquerque, NM (US); Tony Ray Carter, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Amir Borna, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Jul. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/875,500.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/230,901, filed on Aug. 9, 2021.
Int. Cl. G01R 33/032 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/0322 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of measuring an ambient magnetic field B with an atomic magnetometer of the kind in which a probe light beam having a probe axis probes a polarization vector P of an atomic population periodically pumped by an optical pump pulse along a pump axis and confined within a vapor cell, wherein each of one or more measurement cycles comprises:
preparing the polarization vector P in an initial state with the optical pump pulse;
applying a magnetic waveform along at least an axis orthogonal to at least one of the pump axis or the probe axis to the vapor cell so as to rotate the direction of the polarization vector P, the magnetic waveform including at least one of a magnetic π/2 pulse or a magnetic π pulse;
subjecting the vapor cell to the ambient magnetic field B, whereby the polarization vector P is rotated by Larmor precession; and
making at least one projection measurement of a projection of the thus Larmor-rotated polarization vector P onto the probe axis, each of the at least one projection measurements being made during or after applying the magnetic waveform.