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Session A2a: Quantum Inertial Sensor Technologies and Applications

Investigation of Atom Interferometry Data Extraction Requirements for Alternative Navigation Applications
Toby Dytrych, Kevin Ridley, Michael Holynski, Quantum Sensing Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham
Location: Deer Valley 1-3
Date/Time: Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2:35 p.m.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) have allowed users to access global position, navigation, and timing (PNT) solutions across a wide range of industries. They have nurtured beneficial globalization, whilst allowing the public to access tools for their convenience/safety. However, GNSSs cannot effectively operate in signal-denied environments, and are susceptible to jamming/spoofing. Currently, there is no robust alternative for these systems in these cases. Inertial navigation systems (INS) offer a possible alternative, but these are prone to errors in both sensor output and integration, which result in increasing inaccuracy in their estimates of position over time. Due to this, additional navigation inputs that provide a robust external reference would offer considerable advantage. A promising approach is map matching, a form of alternative navigation via atomic gravity gradiometry. An atomic gravity gradiometer measures the local gravity gradient by utilizing coupled atom interferometry, offering high levels of common-mode noise suppression from sources such as platform accelerations. As it measures a fundamental feature of the local environment, it cannot be jammed or spoofed, and can operate in areas where Global Positioning System (GPS) signals cannot penetrate. These systems have the potential to provide navigation inputs by using sensor data to give a reliable position fix. In this paper, we identify and address key data-processing challenges to realizing such a sensor for navigation. One such barrier is the data acquisition timescales for reliable readout of an externally varying signal. To investigate a solution to this, we implement a sliding window technique to resolve fine environmental features that emerge within the timescale of a single useful measurement. We report that this method reduces the uncertainty in signal determination by around a factor of 2, alongside improved readout resolution. The proposed method retains point-to-point repeatability over small, local trends comparable to the rate of data acquisition, such as navigation through a dense urban environment. Implementation of this method over longer regional trends is also possible, highlighting the versatility of this method. This method can be applied to any general cold-atom interferometer system. In this paper, we outline the initial findings of this study, and identify the steps required to realize map matching using gravity gradiometry as a tool for robust navigation.
Index Terms—Alternative navigation, gravity gradiometry, ellipse fitting, map-matching, atom interferometry

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