Characterization of a Dual Opto-Mechanical Resonator for Inertial Sensing
Abstract
Accelerometers are key sensors in many fields and applications such as precision metrology, gravimetry measurements, gravitational wave observatories, and navigation where position and attitude need to be determined accurately. A combination of at least six accelerometers provides all the necessary information to estimate position and orientation of a rigid body and thus serves as an inertial navigation system for autonomous navigation. Fused-silica based mechanical resonators paired with laser interferometric read-outs enable compact high-precision accelerometers. I will present my work on the development of a wide-band accelerometer based on a double resonator with two test masses of different sizes in a single frame. One of the resonators has a resonance frequency of about 50 Hz, while the other is optimized for lower frequencies and has a nominal frequency of about 10 Hz. The combination of the two resonators allows for excellent long-term precision while maintaining good measurement bandwidth. Using a free-space heterodyne laser interferometer and fiber-based heterodyne interferometer, characterization of the system in air and in vacuum has been conducted. The calculated and expected performance will be presented along with the experimental procedure.
Citation
Capistran, Lee Ann (2023). Characterization of a Dual Opto-Mechanical Resonator for Inertial Sensing. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /199166.