We propose a precise method to calibrate the coil constants of spin-precession gyroscopes and optical atomic magnetometers. This method is based on measuring the initial amplitude of Free Induction Decay (FID) of noble gases, from which the π/2 pulse duration can be calculated, since it is inversely proportional to the amplitude of the π/2 pulse. Therefore, the coil constants can be calibrated by measuring the π/2 pulse duration. Compared with the method based on the Larmor precession frequency of atoms, our method can avoid the effect of the pump and probe powers. We experimentally validated the method in a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Gyroscope (NMRG), and the experimental results show that the coil constants are 436.63±0.04 nT/mA and 428.94±0.02 nT/mA in the x and y directions, respectively.

We propose an average Rb polarization model to analyze the influence of temperature on the spin polarization of Rb and 129Xe in a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Gyroscope (NMRG) with low pump power. This model is essentially based on summing the Rb spin polarization along the direction of the pump beam and dividing the result by the cell length. We experimentally study the spin polarization of Rb and 129Xe atoms as a function of the cell temperature at low values of the pump power. The experimental results and the values calculated with the average Rb polarization model are in good agreement for both Rb and 129Xe. The spin polarization of Rb atoms decreases with increasing cell temperature, with a decreasing trend which is rapid at temperatures below 110 °C, and slower at temperatures above 110 °C. The experimental values of the 129Xe polarization, obtained with a pump power of 1 mW, first increase to a maximum P  129Xe−ave = 0.66 % at 118 °C, and then decreases as the temperature increases. Increasing the power of the pump beam shifts the temperature maximum to a higher value. Our model is suitable for the analysis of Rb and 129Xe polarization at high temperature and low pump power, i.e. when the power of the pump beam is completely absorbed within a few millimeters of the front window of the cell. Therefore, the present model can provide theoretical support for the improvement of the Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) of the NMRG, and to determine its optimal working temperature.

We propose a method for the precise determination of nuclear spin polarization, based on the atomic magnetometers, which employs the effective magnetic field produced by the spin polarization of 129Xe nuclei. This effective magnetic field can be estimated by measuring the initial induced voltage of the Free Induction Decay (FID) signal of the 129Xe nuclei, which is based on the calibration coefficient between the transverse magnetic field and the output voltage signal of the atomic magnetometer, by using an off-resonant transverse driven magnetic field. Compared with the method based on measuring the longitudinal relaxation time of the 129Xe nuclei and the spin polarization of alkali-metal atoms, our method can directly measure the nuclear spin polarization, without being affected by inaccuracies in the measurement of the spin polarization of alkali-metal atoms.

In this Letter, the liquid crystal variable phase retarder is applied for the accurate modulation of the laser power in a detection system and the construction of a system that suppresses the influence of laser noise on the gyro's bias instability. A closed-loop control method for a laser noise suppression system is proposed. We obtain a power stability index of 0.038% in a 3-h continuous test, and the nuclear magnetic resonance gyroscope bias instability reaches 1°∕h. The proposed control method effectively improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the gyroscope detection signal, which lays the technical foundation for future research work. OCIS codes: 230.0230, 020.0020.

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