INERTIAL SENSING WITH CLASSICAL ATOMIC-BEAMS

A different approach to high-precision measurement of rotation, accele ration, and gravitation is presented. Our Moire deflectometer is based on geometric propagation of an atomic (or molecular) beam through a s et of three identical gratings. Accelerated movements of the gratings with respect to the atomic beam result in a change of the total transm itted intensity. The device is nondispersive, i.e., atoms with a broad energy distribution and without collimation can be used. Furthermore, rotational and linear (gravitational) acceleration can easily be dist inguished and measured simultaneously. In a certain sense the Moire de flectometer represents the classical analog to a quantum-mechanical ma tter-wave interferometer. Experimental results on a test system demons trate that its sensitivity to rotation and gravitation is already in t he range of commercially used inertial sensors. It can be increased st raightforwardly by orders of magnitude.