Alkali source and/or sink using ion-conducting solid electrolyte and mixed ion-electron conductor electrode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828618-B1
Application number	US-201715837346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Some variations provide an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal atom source (e.g., vapor cell) with a solid ionic conductor and a mixed ion-electron conductor electrode. Mixed ion-electron conductor electrodes are used as efficient sources and/or as sinks for alkali metal or alkaline earth metal atoms, thus enabling electrical control over metal atom content in the vapor cell. Some variations provide a vapor-cell system comprising: a vapor-cell region configured to allow a vapor-cell optical path into a vapor-cell vapor phase; a first electrode containing an mixed ion-electron conductor that is conductive for an ion of at least one element selected from Rb, Cs, Na, K, or Sr; a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode; and an ion-conducting layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The ion-conducting layer is ionically conductive for at least one ionic species selected from Rb + , Cs + , Na + , K + , or Sr 2+ .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An atom-source system arranged to supply atoms for measurements, said system comprising:
a first electrode disposed in contact with a vapor-cell region, wherein said first electrode contains a first mixed ion-electron conductor;
a second electrode that is electrically isolated from said first electrode; and
an ion-conducting layer interposed between said first electrode and said second electrode, wherein said ion-conducting layer is in ionic communication with said second electrode.

2. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said atom-source system is a vapor-cell system comprising said vapor-cell region configured to allow at least one vapor-cell optical path into a vapor-cell vapor phase within said vapor-cell region.

3. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting layer is ionically conductive for at least one ionic species selected from the group consisting of Rb + , Cs + , Na + , K + , and Sr 2+ .

4. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said first mixed ion-electron conductor is selected from the group consisting of alkali monoferrites, alkali monoaluminates, alkali monogallates, and combinations thereof.

5. The atom-source system of claim 4 , wherein said first mixed ion-electron conductor is doped with one or more atoms selected from the group consisting of Pb, Cd, Ca, P, V, Nb, Ta, Si, Ti, Ge, and combinations thereof.

6. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said first mixed ion-electron conductor is selected from alkali pyrophosphates.

7. The atom-source system of claim 6 , wherein said first mixed ion-electron conductor is doped with one or more atoms selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Nd, and combinations thereof.

8. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said first mixed ion-electron conductor is conductive for at least one element selected from the group consisting of Rb, Cs, Na, K, and Sr.

9. The atom-source system of claim 3 , wherein said ion-conducting layer contains said at least one ionic species selected from the group consisting of Rb + , Cs + , Na + , K + , and Sr 2+ .

10. The atom-source system of claim 9 , wherein said first mixed ion-electron conductor includes said at least one ionic species selected from the group consisting of Rb + , Cs + , Na + , K + , and Sr 2+ .

11. The atom-source system of claim 2 , wherein said vapor-cell region contains a vapor phase comprising metal atoms that are included, in ionized form, in said first mixed ion-electron conductor.

12. The atom-source system of claim 11 , wherein said metal atoms are selected from the group consisting of Rb, Cs, Na, K, Sr, and combinations thereof, wherein said ion-conducting layer contains at least one ionic species selected from the group consisting of Rb + , Cs + , Na + , K + , and Sr 2+ , and wherein said metal atoms are the same element as said at least one ionic species.

13. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of β-alumina, β″-alumina, yttria-stabilized zirconia, and combinations thereof.

14. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of NASICON, LISICON, KSICON, chalcogenide glasses, and combinations thereof.

15. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said second electrode contains a second mixed ion-electron conductor.

16. The atom-source system of claim 15 , wherein said second mixed ion-electron conductor is selected from the group consisting of alkali monoferrites, alkali monoaluminates, alkali monogallates, and combinations thereof, optionally doped with one or more atoms selected from the group consisting of Pb, Cd, Ca, P, V, Nb, Ta, Si, Ti, and Ge.

17. The atom-source system of claim 15 , wherein said second mixed ion-electron conductor is selected from alkali pyrophosphates, optionally doped with one or more atoms selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, and Nd.

18. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said second electrode contains an intercalable compound.

19. The atom-source system of claim 18 , wherein said intercalable compound is a carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of graphite, graphene, holey graphene, graphene platelets, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, activated carbon, coke, pitch coke, petroleum coke, carbon black, amorphous carbon, glassy carbon, pyrolyzed carbon-containing molecules, pyrolyzed parylene, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and combinations thereof.

20. The atom-source system of claim 18 , wherein said intercalable compound is a transition-metal oxide, a transition-metal dichalcogenide, or a combination thereof.

21. The atom-source system of claim 18 , wherein said intercalable compound is intercalative for at least one element selected from the group consisting of Rb, Cs, Na, K, and Sr.

22. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said second electrode is in contact with a reservoir region containing alkali or alkaline earth metal atoms.

23. The atom-source system of claim 1 , said system further comprising electrical traces physically located on, but electrically insulated from, said ion-conducting layer.

24. The atom-source system of claim 1 , wherein said atom-source system further includes a heater attached to, or in thermal or electromagnetic communication with, said atom-source system.

Assignees

• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Roper Christopher S
• Graetz Jason A

Classifications

• G04F5/14 Primary

  using atomic clocks · CPC title

• B01J2219/0809

  employing two or more electrodes · CPC title

• B01J2219/0871

  Heating or cooling of the reactor · CPC title

• B01J19/088 Primary

  giving rise to electric discharges (for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00) · CPC title

• B01J2219/0884

  Gas-liquid · CPC title