China Deploys Cold Atom Gyroscope in Space, Achieving Record Precision in Quantum Inertial Sensing

Insider Brief

• Chinese scientists report they have built and operated the world’s first quantum gyroscope in space, marking a major step toward ultra-precise navigation and space science tools.
• The instrument can detect incredibly small changes in motion — such as tiny shifts in rotation or acceleration that would be impossible to measure with traditional sensors.
• This advance could improve spacecraft guidance and help scientists test theories like Einstein’s general relativity with much greater precision.

A Chinese research team has successfully demonstrated the world’s first cold atom gyroscope operating in space, achieving rotation and acceleration measurement resolutions that could pave the way for next-generation quantum navigation and tests of fundamental physics, according to the team’s news release.

In a paper published in the National Science Review, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences detailed their use of a quantum sensor aboard the China Space Station to achieve unprecedented precision in detecting rotational and acceleration forces. They refer to the results as a milestone in inertial sensing, long dominated by mechanical and optical systems, and could play a critical role in efforts to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity or develop ultra-precise spacecraft guidance systems.

The experiment builds on prior work from missions like NASA’s Gravity Probe B and Italy’s LARES satellite, which used classical gyroscopes and orbital measurements to test relativistic effects such as frame-dragging , a subtle distortion of space-time caused by rotating massive objects. According to the release, while those projects confirmed Einstein’s predictions with accuracies of 19% and 3% respectively, the new effort by China’s Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology signals a shift toward quantum-based instrumentation, which could yield even finer measurements.

Compact Payload, High Precision

At the heart of the Chinese experiment is an atom interferometer — a device that uses the wave-like properties of matter to detect changes in motion with extreme sensitivity. By placing this instrument aboard the China Space Station, researchers capitalized on a low-noise, microgravity environment that allows for longer interference times and greater measurement precision than what is possible on Earth.

The payload, known as the China Space Station Atom Interferometer (CSSAI), was launched in November 2022. Roughly the size of a microwave oven and consuming just 75 watts of power, the compact device uses clouds of rubidium atoms (85Rb and 87Rb) cooled to near absolute zero. The atoms are then split and recombined in a precisely controlled laser setup, creating interference patterns that shift in response to acceleration and rotation.

In their latest analysis, the researchers used the 87Rb atoms to carry out rotational measurements in orbit and developed a new method to correct for distortions in the interference patterns — known as shearing fringes — that can introduce errors. They identified a “magic angle” that, when applied to the laser configuration, cancels out dephasing effects caused by variations in the position and velocity of the atom clouds.

This allowed for a rotation measurement uncertainty better than 3.0×10⁻⁵ radians per second, which, to put in perspective, would be like sensing the slow spin of a coin from over 100 kilometers away. The team reports acceleration resolution better than 1.1×10⁻⁶ meters per second squared. One way to capture the resolution of this advance is that it’s roughly a 100,000 times more sensitive than what a standard smartphone accelerometer can measure.

Long-Term Accuracy and Error Analysis

By integrating data from multiple runs, the long-term rotation measurement resolution improved to 17 micro-radians per second. The results were cross-validated with readings from the China Space Station’s own gyroscope, showing strong agreement and confirming the reliability of the atom interferometer.

To reach this level of precision, the team conducted detailed analyses of various error sources, including laser wavelength fluctuations, timing sequences, magnetic field interference, and imperfections in imaging systems. The study found that small deviations in the shearing angle configuration are among the most significant limiting factors for future quantum gyroscopes in space.

Beyond inertial navigation, the technology has implications for fundamental physics. High-precision gyroscopes like CSSAI could be used to measure frame-dragging and other relativistic effects with greater accuracy than ever before. These kinds of experiments are not just academic exercises — they probe the limits of current physical theories and may help uncover new physics beyond general relativity.

China’s Growing Space-Based Quantum Capabilities

The research also demonstrates China’s growing capability in space-based quantum technologies. While Europe and the United States have conducted related microgravity experiments using drop towers, rockets, and the International Space Station, this is reportedly the first operational cold atom gyroscope deployed in orbit. The CSSAI project reflects China’s increasing investment in dual-use space science that spans both commercial and strategic applications.

The co-corresponding authors of the study — Xi Chen, Jin Wang, and Mingsheng Zhan — point to this achievement as a foundational step toward future quantum inertial sensors that could support autonomous deep-space missions or offer alternative navigation systems independent of GPS.

The next stage of development will likely involve reducing systematic errors even further, scaling the technology to handle more complex motion profiles, and integrating these sensors into more robust space systems. If successful, quantum gyroscopes could eventually replace or complement existing systems in satellites, spacecraft, submarines and other vehicles where traditional sensors reach their limits.