Atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, and moving object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9197230-B2
Application number	US-201414496472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Nov 24, 2015
Grant date	Nov 24, 2015

Abstract

An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell, a semiconductor laser, a light detector, a bias current control section controlling a bias current based on intensity of light detected by the light detector, a memory, and an MPU. The MPU sweeps the bias current and stores a value of the bias current and a value of the intensity of the light when the intensity of the detected light shifts from a decrease to an increase and re-sweeps to set the bias current based on the value of the bias current stored in the memory after the sweep, compares the value of the intensity of the detected light with the value of the intensity of the light stored in the memory while the bias current control section controls the bias current, and determines whether to perform the sweep again in accordance with the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An atomic oscillator comprising:
a cell which encapsulates metal atoms therein;
a light source which generates light for irradiation of the cell;
a light detecting section which detects light penetrating through the cell;
a bias current control section which controls a bias current to be supplied to the light source based on intensity of light detected by the light detecting section;
a storage section; and
a bias current setting section which performs sweep processing of sweeping the bias current and storing on the storage section a value of the bias current and a value of the intensity of the light when the intensity of the light detected by the light detecting section shifts from a decrease to an increase and re-sweep determination processing of setting the bias current based on the value of the bias current stored on the storage section after the sweep processing, comparing the value of the intensity of the light detected by the light detecting section with the value of the intensity of the light stored on the storage section in a state where the bias current control section controls the bias current, and determining whether or not to perform the sweep processing again in accordance with a comparison result.

2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bias current setting section determines to perform the sweep processing again when a difference or a ratio between the value of the intensity of the light detected by the light detecting section and the value of the intensity of the light stored on the storage section is greater than a threshold value stored on the storage section in the re-sweep determination processing.

3. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bias current setting section compares the value of the bias current and a value of the bias current stored on the storage section in a state where the bias current control section controls the bias current and determines whether or not to perform the sweep processing again in accordance with a comparison result in the re-sweep determination processing.

4. The atomic oscillator according to claim 3 ,
wherein the bias current setting section determines to perform the sweep processing again when a difference or a ratio between the value of the bias current and the value of the bias current stored on the storage section is greater than a threshold value stored on the storage section in the re-sweep determination processing.

5. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bias current setting section performs the re-sweep determination processing every time the sweep processing is performed.

6. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bias current setting section performs adjustment determination processing of setting the bias current based on the value of the bias current stored on the storage section, comparing the value of the intensity of the light detected by the light detecting section with the value of the intensity of the light stored on the storage section in a state where the bias current control section controls the bias current, and determining whether or not to perform the sweep processing in accordance with a comparison result, prior to the sweep processing.

7. The atomic oscillator according to claim 6 ,
wherein the bias current setting section determines to perform the sweep processing when a difference or a ratio between the value of the intensity of the light detected by the light detecting section and the value of the intensity of the light stored on the storage section is greater than the threshold value stored on the storage section in the adjustment determination processing.

8. The atomic oscillator according to claim 6 ,
wherein the bias current setting section compares the value of the bias current with the value of the bias current stored on the storage section in the state where the bias current control section controls the bias current and determines whether or not to perform the sweep processing in accordance with a comparison result in the adjustment determination processing.

9. The atomic oscillator according to claim 8 ,
wherein the bias current setting section determines to perform the sweep processing when a difference or a ratio between the value of the bias current and the value of the bias current stored on the storage section is greater than the threshold value stored on the storage section in the adjustment determination processing.

10. An electronic apparatus comprising:
the atomic oscillator according to claim 1 .

11. A moving object comprising:
the atomic oscillator according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Noriaki
• Chindo Koji
• Yoshida Hiroyuki
• Maki Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• G04F5/145

  using Coherent Population Trapping · CPC title

• H03L5/00

  Automatic control of voltage, current, or power · CPC title

• H03L1/00

  Stabilisation of generator output against variations of physical values, e.g. power supply · CPC title

• H03L7/26 Primary

  using energy levels of molecules, atoms, or subatomic particles as a frequency reference · CPC title