Chip scale magnetometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12517191-B2
Application number	US-202418591434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2024
Priority date	Feb 29, 2024
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

An enclosure for housing a vertical cavity laser (VCL) includes multiple platform substrates in which one or more layers of the VCL are disposed thereon. The enclosure also includes temperature control circuitry for regulating the thermal environment of each layer independently. The temperature control circuitry can adjust the temperature of a layer based on thermal feedback. In doing so, each layer of the VCL can be thermally insulated relative to another layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
an enclosure comprising an exterior and an interior, wherein the interior comprises a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion configured to support at least one component of a vertical cavity laser (VCL) to define a layer, wherein each respective layer of a plurality of layers is stacked vertically with respect to another respective layer, wherein the plurality of layers is thermally insulated from the exterior of the enclosure, wherein one of the plurality of layers is thermally insulated with respect to another of the plurality of layers, wherein a pump light source is disposed on a first layer of the plurality of layers, the pump light source configured to generate light at a first frequency, wherein a radio frequency (RF) scanner is disposed on a second layer of the plurality of layers, the RF scanner configured to emit RF radiation at a range of frequencies to a first material, wherein a gain medium is disposed on a third layer of the plurality of layers, the gain medium configured to generate probe light at a second frequency in the VCL, wherein the first material is disposed on a fourth layer of the plurality of layers, the first material configured to absorb or intensify the light at the second frequency when excited by light at the first frequency, wherein an optical resonator comprising a plurality of reflecting elements is disposed on at least one layer of the plurality of layers, the optical resonator configured to generate output light, a detector coupled to the interior of the enclosure, the detector configured to detect the output light, and temperature control circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of layers, wherein the temperature control circuitry is configured to adjust a temperature of one or more layers.

2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a controller coupled to the temperature control circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to send control signals activating the temperature control circuitry in response to a change of the temperature of the one or more layers.

3 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of electrical leads on each layer of the plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of electrical leads is configured to communicate electrical signals from the temperature control circuitry to a respective component of the VCL disposed on the respective layer.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one component of the VCL is disposed on a respective platform substrate that is coupled to a respective protrusion defining the respective layer.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control circuitry is disposed in the interior of the enclosure.

6 . The system of claim 1 , comprising at least one processor coupled to the detector, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine one or more characteristics of an external magnetic field based on the detected output light.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the interior of the enclosure is hermetically-sealed.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the RF scanner is disposed above the pump light source, wherein the first material is disposed above the RF scanner, wherein the detector is disposed above the first material.

9 . An enclosure configured to house a vertical cavity laser (VCL), comprising:
an exterior; and an interior, wherein the interior comprises a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion configured to support at least one component of the VCL to define a layer, wherein each respective layer of a plurality of layers is stacked vertically with respect to another respective layer, wherein the plurality of layers is thermally insulated from the exterior of the enclosure, wherein one of the plurality of layers is thermally insulated with respect to another of the plurality of layers, wherein a pump light source is disposed on a first layer of the plurality of layers, the pump light source configured to generate light at a first frequency, wherein a radio frequency (RF) scanner is disposed on a second layer of the plurality of layers, the RF scanner configured to emit RF radiation at a range of frequencies to a first material, wherein a gain medium is disposed on a third layer of the plurality of layers, the gain medium configured to generate probe light at a second frequency in the VCL, wherein the first material is disposed on a fourth layer of the plurality of layers, the first material configured to absorb or intensify the light at the second frequency when excited by light at the first frequency, wherein an optical resonator comprising a plurality of reflecting elements is disposed on at least one layer of the plurality of layers, the optical resonator configured to generate output light, a detector coupled to the interior of the enclosure, the detector configured to detect the output light, and temperature control circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of layers, wherein the temperature control circuitry is configured to adjust a temperature of one or more layers.

10 . The enclosure of claim 9 , comprising a controller coupled to the temperature control circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to send control signals activating the temperature control circuitry in response to a change of the temperature of the one or more layers.

11 . The enclosure of claim 9 , comprising a plurality of electrical leads on each layer of the plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of electrical leads is configured to communicate electrical signals from the temperature control circuitry to a respective component of the VCL disposed on the respective layer.

12 . The enclosure of claim 9 , comprising a plurality of platform substrates respectively coupled to a respective protrusion, wherein each respective platform substrate supports a respective component of the VCL.

13 . The enclosure of claim 9 , comprising at least one processor coupled to the detector, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine one or more characteristics of an external magnetic field based on the detected output light.

14 . The enclosure of claim 9 , wherein the interior of the enclosure is hermetically-sealed.

15 . The enclosure of claim 9 , wherein the temperature control circuitry comprises a thermoelectric cooler and/or a thermistor.

16 . A method for fabricating a magnetometer, wherein the magnetometer comprises an enclosure comprising an exterior and an interior, wherein the interior comprises a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion configured to support at least one component of a vertical cavity laser (VCL) to define a layer, the method comprising:
disposing a pump light source on a first layer of the plurality of layers, the pump light source configured to generate light at a first frequency, disposing a radio frequency (RF) scanner on a second layer of the plurality of layers, the RF scanner configured to emit RF radiation at a range of frequencies to a first material, wherein a gain medium is disposed on a third layer of the plurality of layers, the gain medium configured to generate probe light at a second frequency in the vertical cavity laser, disposing the first material on a fourth layer of the plurality of layers, the first material configured to absorb or intensify the light at the second frequency when excited by light at the first frequency, disposing an optical resonator comprising a plurality of reflecting elements on at least one layer of the plurality of layers, the optical resonator configured to generate output light, electrically cou

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Solmeyer Neal Eldrich
• Fertig Chad
• Dellis Argyrios
• Wu Jianfeng

Classifications

• H01S5/041 Primary

  Optical pumping · CPC title

• H01S5/024

  Arrangements for thermal management · CPC title

• H01S5/18361

  Structure of the reflectors, e.g. hybrid mirrors · CPC title

• H01S5/06804

  by monitoring an external parameter, e.g. temperature · CPC title

• G01R33/032 Primary

  using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday {or Cotton-Mouton effect} · CPC title