Free-Inertial Navigation using Atomic Lattice Engineering

ColdQuanta will develop a Free-Inertial Navigation with Atomic Lattice Engineering (FINALE) system to serve as a 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) strategic-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU). Free-inertial refers to the system’s ability to operate autonomously from any reference source to provide real-time position data in scenarios of GPS-denied environments. FINALE functions on the basis of coherent atomic wavefunction control in optical lattice potentials to create matter-wave interferometers that guide atoms along pre-defined paths. The control is enabled using reinforcement learning algorithms that learn to “shake” the atoms through lattice phase modulation. The advantages of such a guided approach include high dynamic range, high scale-factor stability, real-time adaptation to self-gravity effects and lattice beam imperfections, and, most importantly, high dynamic environment operation. The last point is particularly advantageous given the relative docile environments required for proper operation by current atom interferometry techniques. The SWaP-C footprint of the FINALE system will be amenable to maritime applications having an estimated volume of 44 L, power draw of 195 W, and a mass of 42 kg. Based on current ColdQuanta commercial hardware, the anticipated bill of materials is near $500k. In the FINALE Phase I Base scope of work, ColdQuanta will partner with the University of Colorado-Boulder to simulate performance of the shaken lattice technique in terms of sensitivity, bias drift, and dynamic range. Additionally, ColdQuanta will undertake studies to determine methods for detection bandwidth enhancement and experimentally demonstrate the lattice approach’s dynamic environment operation. For the Phase I Option, ColdQuanta will develop a system design detailing the instrument specifications and SWaP-C parameters of a Phase II prototype.