Severe-Environment Cold-Atom Navigation Technologies

ABSTRACT:AOSense proposes to develop a model that calculates the response of a cold-atom IMU subjected to harsh environmental effects including radiation, magnetic fields, and acceleration/rotation. These simulations will predict navigational accuracy of cold-atom sensors in real environments, informing the development of future generations of strategic-grade cold-atom IMUs. The resulting software package will allow the user to predict navigational figures of merit based upon environmental input variables. In Phase II the model will be validated with laboratory tests and extended to include approaches for mitigating adverse environmental factors. Future work will also include severe-environment testing of components used in atom-optic sensors, further informing the simulation as well as the design of future sensors.BENEFIT:Inertial navigation systems are a key asset for cases in which GPS is either unavailable or actively denied. Recent efforts to reduce military and civilian reliance on GPS have greatly increased demand for inertial sensors. Atom-optical inertial sensors have demonstrated superior performance over conventional inertial devices owing to the intrinsic stability of atomic systems. Central to making cold-atom sensors practical is their ability to operate in harsh dynamic and radiation environments. This program will provide an analysis package capable of predicting sensor performance and degradation under user-defined operating conditions. Such a tool will provide valuable insight into design strategies that optimize sensor performance, size, weight, and cost for a given environment.