Inertial measurement with trapped particles: A microdynamical system

Journal Article · Mon Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3360808· OSTI ID:21347356

Post, E Rehmi; Popescu, George A; Gershenfeld, Neil ^[1]

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1. Center for Bits and Atoms, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

We describe an inertial measurement device based on an electrodynamically trapped proof mass. Mechanical constraints are replaced by guiding fields, permitting the trap stiffness to be tuned dynamically. Optical readout of the proof mass motion provides a measurement of acceleration and rotation, resulting in an integrated six degree of freedom inertial measurement device. We demonstrate such a device - constructed without microfabrication - with sensitivity comparable to that of commercial microelectromechanical systems technology and show how trapping parameters may be adjusted to increase dynamic range.

• OSTI ID: 21347356
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 14; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3360808; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
DEGREES OF FREEDOM
MASS
READOUT SYSTEMS
SENSITIVITY
TRAPPING