Quantum gravimetry going toward real applications

Typical signal sizes of gravity gradient anomaly generated by different gravity sources.

Gravimetry techniques play significant roles in the fields of metrology, geology, and industrial-related applications such as resource exploration and navigation. Classical absolute gravimeters and absolute gravity gradiometers have long been limited by mechanical wear and lower sampling rate, which make them powerless for long-term continuous observations and applications on moving platforms. At the end of the last century, the inception of atom interferometers (AIs) brought a new technical solution. In AIs, laser pulses are employed to manipulate atom groups in a vacuum to achieve splitting, redirection, and recombination.