Overview
Quantum (super fluid) Gyroscope
Taking the place of the mechanical gyroscope is the quantum gyroscope. This gyroscope uses super fluids and pressure to detect orientation changes. The super fluid quantum gyroscope was first made by Richard Packard and his colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley (is based on the Josephson Effect). This gyroscope works by manipulating helium isotopes to extremely cold temperatures. Originally the substance used was Helium 3, but it was eventually replaced by its brother, Helium 4. Helium 3 was too expensive and it needed to be cooled to 10^-3 degreesKelvin (K). Helium 4 on the other hand was far less expensive and only needed to be cooled down to around 2 degrees Kelvin.
When these substances are cooled down to those temperatures they lose all of their normal physical properties and become dictated by the strange laws of quantum physics (in essence the vessel becomes like a giant atom). They also become zero friction fluids (no viscosity) and are able to flow continuously through a vessel (*Josephson’s Effect). To actually measure the orientation (in regards to the earth’s poles) there needed to be a way to measure the pressure differences. Therefore they used a vessel with two parts separated by a weak connection (such as a very fine membrane of silicon nitride), with around 4,200 infinitesimal apertures.
When Richard Packard first tested the quantum gyroscope it didn't do what he expected. When pressure was put on one side of the super fluids they didn't simply move away or displace but instead oscillated back and forth. When the two super fluids oscillated back and forth they did so through the perforations, causing vibrations. To create this pressure the team used electrostatic pressure, then to attain the sound (of the vibrations) they used the world’s most sensitive microphone and normal headphones. Richard Packard and his team noticed that the whistling sound got louder or softer, depending on the vessel’s orientation in terms to Earth’s rotation axis.
*Listen to the whistling sound here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/heliumwhistle/
When these substances are cooled down to those temperatures they lose all of their normal physical properties and become dictated by the strange laws of quantum physics (in essence the vessel becomes like a giant atom). They also become zero friction fluids (no viscosity) and are able to flow continuously through a vessel (*Josephson’s Effect). To actually measure the orientation (in regards to the earth’s poles) there needed to be a way to measure the pressure differences. Therefore they used a vessel with two parts separated by a weak connection (such as a very fine membrane of silicon nitride), with around 4,200 infinitesimal apertures.
When Richard Packard first tested the quantum gyroscope it didn't do what he expected. When pressure was put on one side of the super fluids they didn't simply move away or displace but instead oscillated back and forth. When the two super fluids oscillated back and forth they did so through the perforations, causing vibrations. To create this pressure the team used electrostatic pressure, then to attain the sound (of the vibrations) they used the world’s most sensitive microphone and normal headphones. Richard Packard and his team noticed that the whistling sound got louder or softer, depending on the vessel’s orientation in terms to Earth’s rotation axis.
*Listen to the whistling sound here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/heliumwhistle/