| dc.description.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. | |
