An ultra-low-frequency active vertical vibration isolator with geometric anti-spring structure for absolute gravimetry

The absolute gravimeter plays an important role in metrology, geophysics, and geological exploration. Seismic and environmental vibration has been one of the most serious factors limiting its performance. Consequently, an ultralow-frequency vertical vibration isolator is required to significantly improve its measurement precision. A novel active vertical vibration isolator employing geometric antispring (GAS) structure is proposed in this paper. The payload is supported by a GAS structure fixed on an inner frame, and the inner frame is hung by coil springs from the base. The relative movement of the payload with respect to the inner frame is detected, and the inner frame is driven by a voice coil actuator controlled by a feedback circuit to track the payload’s motion. The new isolator has a compact size, and it can be used for different load ranges by tuning the GAS structure. The practical closed-loop system has a resonant period of 19.2 s, compared with the period of 0.74 s in an open-loop system. Experiments showed that the new isolator has great performance in a homemade T-1 absolute gravimeter, reducing the measurement deviation by a factor of 32. It is expected to be used in both free-falling and atomic-interference absolute gravimeters. Future improvements may include optimizing the mechanical structure and integrating a temperature control subsystem.