Superconducting accelerometer using niobium-on-sapphire rf resonator

Journal Article · Wed Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1979 · Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1135817· OSTI ID:6458294

Blair, D G

An accelerometer is described which uses a rf niobium-on-sapphire resonator as its sensor element. The accelerometer uses a magnetically levitated spool as a test mass and the spool modulates the inductance of the resonator; its position is servo controlled to maintain the resonator at the external rf excitation frequency. The accelerometer has high sensitivity over the full audio frequency range, but is optimized for frequencies between 100 Hz and 1 kHz, where the calculated displacement sensitivity approaches 10/sup -15/ cm for a 1 Hz measurement bandwidth. The system noise sources are analyzed and possible improvements are discussed.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
• OSTI ID: 6458294
• Journal Information: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States), Journal Name: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States) Vol. 50:3; ISSN RSINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELEROMETERS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
ANTENNAS
CHALCOGENIDES
CORUNDUM
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MINERALS
NIOBIUM
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION DETECTORS
REFRACTORY METALS
RESONANCE
RF SYSTEMS
SAPPHIRE
SENSITIVITY
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS