ORIENTATION-INDEPENDENT OPTICALLY PUMPED MAGNETOMETERS

Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have long been used by the Navy for detecting mines, submarines, and other buried or concealed ordnance. One of the main problems with OPMs is that their readings depend on their orientation with respect to the earth's magnetic field. When the magnetometer is mounted in a moving pltaform, this so-called heading error significantly reduces the sensitivity of the magnetic measurements. In certain orientations, OPMs fail to operate altogether, and these so-called dead zones restrict the practical utility of the magnetometer. We propose to develop an OPM with no dead zones and greatly reduced heading errors. The new instrument will have a sensitivity approaching that of superconducting SQUID magnetometers, but will require no cryogenic technology. These advances will be achieved in part through a unique, proprietary variation of the basic optical pumping experiment. During Phase I, we will demonstrate this orientation-independent measurement process, and design a full-scale prototype that will be demonstrated during Phase II.