Cold-matter system having ion pump integrated with channel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9960025-B1
Application number	US-201414538568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2014
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

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. A cold-particle method comprising:
releasing particles from a solid phase to a vapor phase, the releasing occurring within the bounds of a monolithic block of GCC material from which GCC material has been removed to form sites and channels, the GCC material consisting essentially of glass, ceramic, or crystalline material;
regulating an amount of atoms in vapor phase using at least one material that sorbs and desorbs the particles;
cooling the particles using at least one magneto-optical trap located within the bounds of the monolithic block; and
sorbing at least some particles using a Penning trap of an ion pump, the Penning trap extending at least part way through the bounds of the monolithic block.

2. A cold-particle method as recited in claim 1 wherein the particles are alkali-metal atoms and the material that sorbs and desorbs the particles includes at least one of carbon, gold, bismuth, and antimony.

3. A cold-particle method as recited in claim 1 further comprising ushering the particles from a chamber containing the solid phase through an aperture of polished panel frit-bonded to an unpolished GCC wall through a channel coated with getter material and into a chamber including the magneto-optical trap.

4. A cold-particle method as recited in claim 3 further comprising opening a pump-out conductance channel to the ion pump from the chamber containing the solid phase, pumping out the chamber containing the solid phase, and closing the pump-out conductance channel.

Assignees

• Coldquanta Inc
• Coldquanta Inc

Inventors

• Hughes Steven Michael

Classifications

• F04B37/14 Primary

  to obtain high vacuum · CPC title

• F04B37/04 Primary

  Selection of specific absorption or adsorption materials · CPC title

• H01J41/12 Primary

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

• H01J41/16

  using gettering substances · CPC title