A chip-scale atomic gyroscope and methods for sensing and measuring
mechanical rotation of an object are disclosed. The chip-scale atomic
gyroscope can include a vapor cell including a vapor cavity adapted to
contain a vaporized source of alkali-metal atoms and noble gas atoms, a
pump laser source adapted to produce a first laser beam along an optical
pumping axis for optically pumping the alkali-metal atoms within the
vapor cavity to an excited state, and a sense laser source adapted to
produce a second laser beam along a sense axis transverse to the optical
pumping axis for probing the polarization angle of the noble gas atoms
within the vapor cavity. The pump and sense laser sources can each be
connected to a servo mechanism, which can be configured to maintain the
laser beams at a wavelength corresponding to the carrier wavelength of
the alkali-metal atoms and a wavelength detuned from the carrier
wavelength.