Cold-matter system having integrated pressure regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975852-B2
Application number	US-201815946898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A cold-atom cell is formed by machining a block of silicon to define sites for an atom source chamber, an atom manipulation chamber, and an ion-pump chamber. A polished silicon panel is frit-bonded to an unpolished (due to machining) chamber wall (which would be difficult and costly to polish). The polished panel can then serve as a reflector or a sight for anodic bonding. A solid-phase atom source provides for vapor phase atoms in the source chamber. The source chamber also includes carbon and gold to regulate the atom pressure by sorbing and desorbing thermal atoms. The atom manipulation chamber includes components for magneto-optical trap and an atom chip, e.g., for forming a Bose-Einstein condensate. The ion-pump chamber serves as the site for an ion pump. By integrating the ion pump into the body of the cold-atom cell, a more compact, reliable, and robust cold-atom cell is achieved. In addition to the embodiment just described, several variations and alternatives are presented and within the scope of the claims.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) system comprising:
a monolithic GCC structure defining in part at least a first chamber, a second chamber, a third chamber, a first passage fluidically coupling the first chamber to the second chamber, and a second passage fluidically coupling the second chamber to the third chamber;
a cover disposed over the second chamber, the cover including a transparent window;
an alkali-vapor pressure regulator within the monolithic GCC structure and including at least one element that regulates alkali-vapor pressure by alternatively sorbing and desorbing alkali-metal atoms; and
an electrode assembly including at least one cathode disposed in the third chamber so as to define an ion pump that, when operated, helps maintain a UHV in the second chamber.

2. The UHV system of claim 1 wherein the first chamber includes a source of alkali-metal atoms so that the alkali-metal atoms can enter the second chamber via the first passage, the pressure regulator being contained by one of the chambers.

3. The UHV system of claim 1 further comprising a polished panel bonded to an unpolished wall of the monolithic GCC structure via a glass layer fused to the polished panel and the unpolished wall.

4. The UHV system of claim 3 wherein an aperture is formed through the polished panel, the aperture fluidically coupling the first chamber with the first passage.

5. The UHV system of claim 4 wherein a structural element separate from the GCC structure is contact-bonded to the polished panel.

6. The UHV system of claim 1 wherein the first chamber includes a source of alkali-metal atoms so that the alkali-metal atoms can enter the second chamber via the first passage, the pressure regulator being contained by the first chamber.

7. The UHV system of claim 1 wherein the pressure regulator includes carbon that absorbs and desorbs alkali-metal atoms.

8. The UHV system of claim 1 wherein the pressure regulator further includes gold and carbon, each of which absorbs and desorbs alkali-metal atoms.

Assignees

• Coldquanta Inc

Inventors

• Hughes Steven Michael

Classifications

• F04B37/04 Primary

  Selection of specific absorption or adsorption materials · CPC title

• H01J41/16

  using gettering substances · CPC title

• H01J41/12

  Discharge tubes for evacuating by diffusion of ions, e.g. ion pumps, getter ion pumps · CPC title

• F04B37/14 Primary

  to obtain high vacuum · CPC title