Vapor cell atomic clock physics package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9164491-B2
Application number	US-201314083067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Jun 13, 2011
Publication date	Oct 20, 2015
Grant date	Oct 20, 2015

Abstract

In an example, a chip-scale atomic clock physics package is provided. The physics package includes a body defining a cavity having a base surface and one or more side walls. The cavity includes a first step surface and a second step surface defined in the one or more side walls. A first scaffold mounted to the base surface in the cavity. One or more spacers defining an aperture therethrough are mounted to the second step surface in the cavity. A second scaffold is mounted to a first surface of the one or more spacers spans across the aperture of the one or more spacers. A third scaffold is mounted to a second surface of the one or more spacers in the cavity and spans across the aperture of the one or more spacers. Other components of the physics package are mounted to the first, second, and third scaffold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chip-scale atomic clock physics package comprising:
a body defining a cavity including a base surface and one or more side walls, wherein the cavity includes a first step surface and a second step surface defined in the one or more side walls;
a lid covering an open side of the cavity to enclosed a volume defined by the cavity;
a first scaffold mounted to the base surface in the cavity;
a laser mounted to the first scaffold;
one or more conductive pads on the first step surface;
one or more wire bonds extending from the first scaffold to the one or more conductive pads, the one or more wire bonds electrically coupling the laser to the one or more conductive pads;
one or more interconnects disposed within the body and extending from the one or more conductive pads on the first step surface to one or more external pads on an exterior surface of the body;
one or more spacers defining an aperture therethrough, the one or more spacers having a first surface facing the base surface of the cavity and a second surface facing the lid, wherein the first surface of the one or more spacers is mounted to the second step surface in the cavity;
a second scaffold mounted to the first surface of the one or more spacers in the cavity and spanning across the aperture of the one or more spacers;
a third scaffold mounted to the second surface of the one or more spacers in the cavity and spanning across the aperture of the one or more spacers;
a vapor cell mounted between the second scaffold and the third scaffold and within the aperture defined by the one or more spacers, wherein the vapor cell is mounted to the second scaffold on one side and to the third scaffold on the other side;
a photodetector mounted to the third scaffold; and
a waveplate, wherein the laser, waveplate, photodetector, and vapor cell are disposed such that a beam from the laser can propagate through the waveplate and the vapor cell and be detected by the photodetector.

2. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the lid has a generally planar geometry.

3. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the third scaffold is disposed in a flipped position with respect to the second scaffold.

4. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the one or more spacers and the second scaffold spans the cavity defined by the body, and wherein the combination of the one or more spacers and the third scaffold spans the cavity defined by the body.

5. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 4 , wherein the one or more spacers have a general ring shape, wherein the one or more spacers are attached to opposing sides of the cavity.

6. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic coil about the one or more spacers.

7. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the body is composed of a ceramic and wherein the one or more spacers are composed of a ceramic.

8. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the waveplate is mounted to the second scaffold.

9. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 8 , wherein the second scaffold includes a first surface facing the third scaffold and a second surface facing the first scaffold, wherein the vapor cell is mounted to the first surface of the second scaffold and the waveplate is mounted to the second surface of the second scaffold.

10. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the vapor cell is disposed overtop of the photodetector on the third scaffold.

11. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the one or more external pads are on an external surface of the body opposite the lid.

12. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more spacers include second one or more interconnects extended within the one or more spacers, the second one or more interconnects electrically coupling the second scaffold and the third scaffold to one or more pads on the second step surface,
wherein the second one or more interconnects electrically couple the one or more external pads to the one or more pads on the second step surface.

13. A chip-scale atomic clock physics package comprising:
a body defining a cavity;
a lid covering the cavity;
a first scaffold mounted in the cavity;
a laser mounted to the first scaffold;
one or more spacers mounted in the cavity, the one or more spacers defining an aperture therethrough;
a magnetic coil integrated within the one or more spacers;
a second scaffold mounted to the one or more spacers in the cavity and spanning the aperture in the one or more spacers;
a third scaffold mounted to the one or more spacers in the cavity and spanning the aperture in the one or more spacers;
a vapor cell mounted between the second scaffold and the third scaffold and within the aperture defined by the one or more spacers, wherein the vapor cell is mounted to the second scaffold on one side and to the third scaffold on the other side;
a photodetector mounted to the third scaffold; and
a waveplate, wherein the laser, waveplate, photodetector, and vapor cell are disposed such that a beam from the laser can propagate through the waveplate and the vapor cell and be detected by the photodetector.

14. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic coil extends around the vapor cell and is configured to provide a bias field for the vapor cell.

15. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 13 , comprising:
one or more interconnects extending from external pads on the body to internal pads in the cavity, wherein the magnetic coil integrated within the one or more spacers is electrically coupled to the internal pads such that the magnetic coil is electrically coupled to the external pads through the one or more interconnects.

16. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 1 , wherein the body is composed of a ceramic and wherein the one or more spacers are composed of a ceramic.

17. A chip-scale atomic clock physics package comprising:
a body defining a cavity;
a lid covering the cavity;
a first scaffold mounted in the cavity;
a laser mounted to the first scaffold;
a first photodetector mounted to the first scaffold;
one or more spacers mounted in the cavity and defining an aperture therethrough;
a second scaffold spanning the cavity and mounted to the one or more spacers in the cavity;
a waveplate mounted to the second scaffold;
a third scaffold spanning the cavity and mounted to the one or more spacers in the cavity;
a vapor cell mounted between the second scaffold and the third scaffold and within the aperture defined by the one or more spacers, wherein the vapor cell is mounted to the second scaffold on one side and to the third scaffold on the other side;
a second photodetector mounted to the third scaffold; and
wherein the laser, waveplate, second photodetector, and vapor cell are aligned such that a beam from the laser can propagate through the waveplate and the vapor cell and be detected by the second photodetector, and wherein the first photodetector is disposed to sense reflections from the laser off of the waveplate.

18. The chip-scale atomic clock physics package of claim 17 , wherein the first photodetector is disposed such that an output from the first photodetector can be used to determine a power output of the laser, and the power output can be used to control the laser.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Ridley Jeff A
• Compton Robert
• Salit Mary K
• Kriz Jeffrey James

Classifications

• G04F5/14 Primary

  using atomic clocks · CPC title

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title

• G04F5/145 Primary

  using Coherent Population Trapping · CPC title