Enhancing the sensitivity of atom-interferometric inertial sensors using robust control

Atom-interferometric quantum sensors could revolutionize navigation, civil engineering, and Earth observation. However, operation in real-world environments is challenging due to external interference, platform noise, and constraints on size, weight, and power. Here we experimentally demonstrate that tailored light pulses designed using robust control techniques mitigate significant error sources in an atom-interferometric accelerometer. To mimic the effect of unpredictable lateral platform motion, we apply laser-intensity noise that varies up to 20% from pulse-to-pulse. Our robust control solution maintains performant sensing, while the utility of conventional pulses collapses. By measuring local gravity, we show that our robust pulses preserve interferometer scale factor and improve measurement precision by 10x in the presence of this noise. We further validate these enhancements by measuring applied accelerations over a 200 mu g range up to 21x more precisely at the highest applied noise level. Our demonstration provides a pathway to improved atom-interferometric inertial sensing in real-world settings. Bringing atom-interferometric quantum sensors out of the lab requires the mitigation of several sources of noise. Here, the authors experimentally demonstrate a software-based mitigation method based on tailored error-robust Bragg light-pulse beamsplitters and mirrors.