MATTER WAVE GYROSCOPE COULD OFFER PRECISE DIRECTION IN ABSENCE OF A GPS SIGNAL

摘要

Researchers in the US have developed a protocol for a highly sensitive and compact gyroscope, capable of measuring very small changes in rotation. The design could form part of an inertial navigation system and offer directional information in the absence of GPS signals. The proposed detection boost arises from the use of matter waves supported by an ion trap, but the operating principle is similar to fibre-optic gyroscopes available today. Rotation is detected as a shift in the interference pattern generated inside the device.