Ultracold-Atom Accelerometers

Abstract

Proposed class of accelerometers and related motion sensors based on use of ultracold atoms as inertial components of motion transducers. Ultracold atoms supplant spring-and-mass components of older accelerometers. As used here, "ultracold atoms" means atoms with kinetic energies equivalent to temperatures equal to or less than 20 mK. Acclerometers essentially frictionless. Primary advantage high sensitivity.