Method of manufacturing a vapor cell for alkaline-earth-like atoms inside an ultrahigh vacuum chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10509369-B1
Application number	US-201815946115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 5, 2018
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A method of making an atomic vapor source includes positioning a glass base of a vapor cell in a vacuum chamber, providing an alkaline-earth metal in the glass base, and positioning a linear motion feedthrough mechanism adjacent the vacuum chamber in line with the glass base. The method includes sealing and evacuating the vacuum chamber, and positioning, using a linear motion actuator of the linear motion feedthrough mechanism, a glass lid to contact the glass base of the vapor cell to form an optical contact bond therebetween.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of making an atomic vapor source, the method comprising:
positioning a glass base of a vapor cell in a vacuum chamber;
providing an alkaline-earth metal in the glass base;
positioning a linear motion feedthrough mechanism adjacent the vacuum chamber in line with the glass base in a horizontal arrangement;
sealing and evacuating the vacuum chamber; and
positioning, using a linear motion actuator of the linear motion feedthrough mechanism, a glass lid to contact the glass base of the vapor cell to form an optical contact bond therebetween.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sealing and evacuating further comprises evacuating the vacuum chamber to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, prior to positioning the glass base:
pre-sealing and pre-evacuating the vacuum chamber; and
unsealing and venting the vacuum chamber to an inert gas environment.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein pre-sealing and pre-evacuating further comprises evacuating the vacuum chamber to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein positioning the glass base further comprises positioning the glass base on a platform within the vacuum chamber.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning the glass lid within the vacuum chamber adjacent the glass base of the vapor cell prior to positioning the linear motion feedthrough mechanism adjacent the vacuum chamber;
positioning the linear motion actuator of the linear motion feedthrough mechanism proximate the glass lid positioned adjacent the glass base; and
moving the glass lid relative to the glass base, using the linear motion actuator.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising providing a heating assembly within the vacuum chamber proximate the glass base; and performing a vacuum bake-out of the glass base, using the heating assembly, prior to bonding the glass lid to the glass base; and wherein the glass lid is slid into contact with the glass base via the linear motion actuator of the linear motion feedthrough mechanism.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises at least one of calcium and strontium, and wherein the glass base and the glass lid comprise an alkali-resistant glass.

9. A method of making an atomic vapor source, the method comprising:
decontaminating a vacuum chamber by initially sealing and evacuating the vacuum chamber, and then unsealing and venting the vacuum chamber to an inert gas environment;
positioning a glass base of a vapor cell in the vacuum chamber;
providing an alkaline-earth metal in the glass base;
positioning a glass lid adjacent to the glass base of the vapor cell;
positioning a linear motion actuator proximate to the glass lid in a horizontal arrangement;
moving the glass lid relative to the glass base using the linear motion actuator to apply a horizontal force;
secondarily sealing and evacuating the vacuum chamber; and
positioning, using the linear motion actuator, the glass lid to contact the glass base of the vapor cell to form an optical contact bond therebetween.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein initially sealing and evacuating further comprises evacuating the vacuum chamber to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein secondarily sealing and evacuating further comprises evacuating the vacuum chamber to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein positioning the glass base further comprises positioning the glass base on a bench within the vacuum chamber.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the glass lid further comprises an adhesive layer on a surface thereof to aid in moving of the glass lid using the linear motion actuator.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the alkaline-earth metal further comprises at least one of calcium and strontium.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein positioning the linear motion actuator further comprises positioning a linear motion feedthrough mechanism adjacent the vacuum chamber in line with the glass lid and the glass base in a horizontal arrangement.

16. An atomic vapor source prepared by a process comprising:
initially sealing and evacuating an ultrahigh vacuum chamber;
unsealing and venting the vacuum chamber to an over-pressurized inert gas environment;
positioning a glass base of the vapor cell in the ultrahigh vacuum chamber;
providing an alkaline-earth metal in the glass base;
positioning a glass lid adjacent the glass base of the vapor cell in the ultrahigh vacuum chamber;
positioning a linear motion feedthrough mechanism adjacent the ultrahigh vacuum chamber in line with the glass lid and the glass base in a horizontal arrangement;
positioning a linear motion actuator of the linear motion feedthrough mechanism to contact the glass lid;
moving the glass lid relative to the glass base using the linear motion actuator to apply a horizontal force;
secondarily sealing and evacuating the ultrahigh vacuum chamber; and
positioning, using the linear motion actuator to apply a horizontal force, the glass lid into contact with the glass base of the vapor cell to form an optical contact bond therebetween.

17. The atomic vapor source according to claim 16 , wherein initially sealing and evacuating further comprises evacuating the ultrahigh vacuum chamber to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

18. The atomic vapor source according to claim 16 , wherein secondarily sealing and evacuating further comprises evacuating the ultrahigh vacuum chamber to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

19. The atomic vapor source according to claim 16 , wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises at least one of calcium and strontium.

20. An atomic vapor source comprising:
a rectangular alkali-resistant glass base defining an interior space;
an alkali-resistant glass lid in contact with the alkali-resistant glass base and having an optical contact bond therebetween to define an evacuated environment in the interior space;
an alkaline-earth metal in the evacuated environment; and
a multi-layer heating assembly including a heat spreading layer in contact with at least the alkali-resistant glass base, a heating element layer surrounding at least the alkali-resistant glass base, and a structural support layer holding the heat spreading layer and the heating element layer around the alkali-resistant glass base;
the multi-layer heating assembly configured to provide optical access to the evacuated environment and alkali-earth metal therein from multiple different directions.

21. The atomic vapor source according to claim 20 , wherein the evacuated environment is evacuated to a pressure of ≤10 −6 Torr.

22. The atomic vapor source according to claim 20 , wherein the heat spreading layer comprises sapphire slides on six sides of the rectangular alkali-resistant glass base; wherein heating element layer comprises picture frame shaped aluminum nitride encased tungsten heating elements on at least four sides of the rectangular alkali-resistant glass base; wherein the structural support layer comprises a copper shell; and wherein the multi-layer heating assembly is configured to provide optical access to the evacuated environment and alkali-earth metal therein from six different directions.

23. The atomic vapor source according to claim 20 , wherein the alkaline-earth metal compr

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• The Government Of The Us Secretary Of The Air Force

Inventors

• Lemke Nathan D
• Erickson Christopher J
• Armstrong Jordan L
• Martin Kyle W

Classifications

• G01R33/26

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• G04F5/14 Primary

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• H03L7/26

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• H03J2200/11

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