Field-Deployable Hybrid Gravimetry: Projecting Absolute Accuracy Across a Remote 24km$^2$ Survey via Daily Quantum Calibration
Abstract
Absolute gravimeters deliver drift-free, high-precision measurements but are typically bulky and difficult to deploy, whereas relative gravimeters are lightweight and mobile but intrinsically limited by time-dependent drift. We demonstrate a hybrid quantum-enabled gravimetry approach in which an on-site atomic gravimeter provides routine, Gal-level calibration of two mobile spring gravimeters during a field survey spanning 24 km of dense tropical terrain. The atomic reference enables high-precision, asynchronous cross-comparison of relative measurements acquired over seven days, effectively suppressing instrumental drift to a level required for demanding geophysical applications. This deployment captures regional gravity gradients with high fidelity under challenging environmental conditions, illustrating how field-operable quantum sensors can extend quantum-grade gravimetry beyond laboratory settings and serve as scalable calibration backbones for large-area, high-precision geophysical surveys in remote or logistically constrained environments.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.10557,
title = {Field-Deployable Hybrid Gravimetry: Projecting Absolute Accuracy Across a Remote 24km$^2$ Survey via Daily Quantum Calibration},
author = {Nathan Shettell and Kai Sheng Lee and Fong En Oon and Elizaveta Maksimova and Hong Hui Chen and Rainer Dumke},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.10557},
year = {2026}
}