Speaker
Description
We present progress toward the development of Canada’s first portable quantum gravimeter at the University of New Brunswick, which is designed to detect time-variable gravity anomalies such as solid-earth tides and ocean loading phenomena. This work focuses on the implementation of a field-deployable laser system for cooling and manipulating a gas of rubidium-87 atoms at the heart of the gravimeter. The laser system involves three space-qualified fiber lasers: a Reference laser locked to an electronic transition in 87Rb, and two Follower lasers locked to the Reference using high-bandwidth optical phase-locked loops. The two Followers are amplified to high power and injected into the sensor head to facilitate gravity measurements. Similar all-fibered designs have demonstrated resilience against external thermal and vibrational noise, helping to ensure reliable operation in the field. Our laser system bridges the gap between cold-atom physics and practical geophysical applications, providing a stable foundation for high-sensitivity gravitational mapping.
| Keyword-1 | Quantum sensing |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | Gravimetry |
| Keyword-3 | Laser physics |