Geomagnetic Reference Sensor System (GRSS) for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

This SBIR Phase I proposal describes the development of a conceptual design for the Geomagnetic Reference Sensor System (GRSS). Polatomic and USSI have joined their respective magnetic sensor and buoy building expertise and experience to develop an affordable sea deployable geomagnetic reference buoy to reduce the geomagnetic noise on airborne MAD systems. The sensor is a miniature high-sensitivity scalar laser magnetometer derived from the ONR sponsored Miniature Broadband Laser Magnetometer (MBLM) Phase II Program. It is designed to sell for less than $3000.00 in volume production. The MBLM offers a state-of-the-art capability for measuring scalar geomagnetic fields with sensitivity better than 1.0 pT/ãHz from 0.01 Hz to 30 Hz. The MBLM design is based on four innovations: 1) Optically-driven Spin Precession (OSP) locked-oscillator He4 mode for the observation of the magnetic signals, 2) miniature helium-4 cells, 3) fiber-coupled laser pump source for optically pumping helium isotopes, and 4) miniature omni-directional sensor having full sensitivity on all headings. In Phase I, the anticipated noise sources for the geomagnetic buoy will be characterized and ancillary sensors and suspension systems will be added to the buoy to allow mitigation of motion and ocean wave noise.