Atomic cell, atomic cell manufacturing method, quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic device, and moving object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9515670-B2
Application number	US-201514877240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An atomic cell includes: alkaline metallic atoms, a body portion and window portions forming an inner space in which alkaline metallic atoms are sealed, and a getter material disposed in the inner space. The getter material is an alloy including at least one of titanium, barium, tantalum, zirconium, aluminum, vanadium, indium, and calcium, or an Al—Zr—V—Fe based alloy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An atomic cell comprising:
first and second windows that are opposite to each other;
walls that are provided between the first and second windows so as to create a main inner space having a first top and a first bottom, a secondary inner space having a second to and a second bottom, and an air communication channel, the main inner space being directly adjacent to centers of the first and second windows, the main inner space being larger than the secondary inner space, the air communication channel being provide between the first top and the second top so that the main inner space and the secondary inner space are connected via the air communication channel;
metallic atoms that are disposed on the second bottom of the secondary inner space; and
a getter material that is disposed on the second bottom of the secondary inner space.

2. The atomic cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein a coating film is provided on surfaces of the walls facing the main inner space and the secondary inner space.

3. The atomic cell according to claim 2 ,
wherein the getter material is held in the coating film.

4. An atomic cell manufacturing method comprising:
preparing first and second windows;
preparing a body substrate having walls;
bonding the first window to one side of the body substrate so that a top surface of the first window and the walls form a main recess and a secondary recess, the main recess having a first bottom, the secondary recess having a second bottom;
disposing a metal compound including metal and a getter material on the second bottom of the secondary recess;
sealing the main recess and the secondary recess by bonding the second window to the other side of the body substrate so as to make an air communication channel along a bottom surface of the second window, the main recess and the bottom surface of the second window forming a main inner space, the secondary recess and the bottom surface of the second window forming a secondary inner space, the main inner space and the secondary inner space being connected via the air communication channel; and
subjecting the metal compound to a decomposition reaction so as to extract the metal.

5. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the metal compound is cesium chloride, and
wherein in the disposing of the metal compound, calcium is disposed in the main inner space.

6. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the metal compound is cesium azide.

7. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein in the subjecting of the metal compound to the decomposition reaction, the metal compound is irradiated with an energy line so as to be subjected to the decomposition reaction.

8. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the getter material is an alloy including at least one of titanium, barium, tantalum, zirconium, aluminum, vanadium, indium, and calcium, or an Al—Zr—V—Fe based alloy.

9. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first window includes silicon, and
wherein the second window includes glass.

10. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first and second windows are bonded to the body substrate by heat bonding.

11. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first and second windows are bonded to the body substrate by anodic bonding.

12. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein there are a plurality of the main recesses and a plurality of the secondary recesses that are formed by the body substrate and the first window.

13. The atomic cell manufacturing method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
individualizing a bonded body obtained by bonding the first and second windows to the body substrate for each pair of the main inner space and the secondary inner space, after the sealing of the main recess and the secondary recess.

14. A quantum interference device comprising the atomic cell according to claim 1 .

15. A quantum interference device comprising the atomic cell according to claim 2 .

16. An atomic oscillator comprising the atomic cell according to claim 1 .

17. An atomic oscillator comprising the atomic cell according to claim 2 .

18. An electronic device comprising the atomic cell according to claim 1 .

19. A moving object comprising the atomic cell according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Ishihara Naoki

Classifications

• H03L7/26 Primary

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

• G04F5/145

  using Coherent Population Trapping · CPC title

• G04F5/14

  using atomic clocks · CPC title