https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-026-00499-7
Research
Dynamic suppression of phase errors in optically pumped atomic magnetometers for applications in geomagnetic environments
1
School of Instrumentation and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beihang University, 100191, Beijing, China
2
National Institute of Extremely-Weak Magnetic Field Infrastructure, 31005, Hangzhou, China
3
College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, 310018, Hangzhou, China
a
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b
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Received:
17
November
2025
Accepted:
6
March
2026
Published online:
20
March
2026
Abstract
Phase error is one of the primary factors leading to deviations between the readings of alkali-metal optically pumped atomic magnetometers (OPAMs) operating in closed-loop mode and the true magnetic field values. Because the phase error varies significantly with both the magnitude of the measured magnetic field and the orientation of the probe relative to the field direction, it imposes a major limitation on the use of OPAMs in real geomagnetic environments. To address this issue, a rapid suppression method for phase error in closed-loop OPAM operation is proposed. Specifically, the azimuth, pitch, and rotation angles are employed to quantitatively characterize the spatial orientation of the measured magnetic field with respect to the probe, and the phase error is measured and calibrated under closed-loop conditions. Experimental results indicate that the phase error mainly arises from changes in the rotation angle and the magnitude of the magnetic field, and is essentially insensitive to variations in azimuth and pitch angles. Based on this calibration, the effectiveness of the proposed suppression method was verified. When the instantaneous fluctuation of the phase error is less than π/6, the method can suppress the phase error to within π/180 within one second, with negligible impact on the OPAM’s dynamic performance. This work provides a dynamic phase error suppression approach for OPAMs, refines the theoretical understanding of OPAM phase errors, and lays a solid foundation for their design and application in geomagnetic environments.
Key words: Optically pumped atomic magnetometer / Phase error / Close-loop mode / Geomagnetic environments
© The Author(s) 2026
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