Systems and methods for positionally stable magneto-optical trapping over temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989926-B2
Application number	US-201615286452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for positionally stable magneto-optical trapping over temperature are provided. In certain embodiments, an atomic sensor may include at least one laser source configured to produce at least one laser; one or more optical components, wherein the one or more optical components direct the at least one laser; and a vacuum cell, wherein the one or more optical components direct the at least one laser into the vacuum cell, wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are bonded together and components within the atomic sensor are fabricated from materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An atomic sensor, the atomic sensor comprising:
at least one laser source configured to produce at least one laser beam;
one or more optical components, wherein the one or more optical components direct the at least one laser beam; and
a vacuum cell, wherein the one or more optical components direct the at least one laser beam into the vacuum cell, wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are bonded together;
wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are fabricated from different materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion;
wherein the one or more optical components are configured to split the at least one laser beam into at least a triad of laser beams; and
wherein when the atomic sensor experiences changes in temperature, an intersection point of the at least a triad of laser beams within the vacuum cell is preserved as a result of the similar coefficients of thermal expansion.

2. The atomic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cell is partially fabricated from metal.

3. The atomic sensor of claim 2 , wherein the metal in the vacuum cell has an internal structure which functions as a loop-gap microwave resonator.

4. The atomic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical components are configured to direct the at least a triad of laser beams into a prism, wherein the prism is part of the one or more optical components.

5. The atomic sensor of claim 4 , wherein the at least one laser beam is split into the at least a triad of laser beams by passing through a Bragg transmission grating.

6. The atomic sensor of claim 4 , wherein the prism has thin layers deposited on a surface thereof, wherein the thin layers affect polarization of a laser beam that is reflected through total internal reflection at the surface of the prism.

7. The atomic sensor of claim 4 , wherein the prism reflects the at least a triad of laser beams through a window and planar magneto-optical coils into the vacuum cell, wherein the at least a triad of laser beams orthogonally intersect one another at a location within the vacuum cell.

8. The atomic sensor of claim 7 , wherein the window is fabricated from a birefringent material.

9. The atomic sensor of claim 7 , wherein after the at least a triad of laser beams passes through the vacuum cell, a second window, and a second magneto-optical coil, a second prism retroreflects the at least a triad of laser beams back along their paths of incidence.

10. The atomic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are bonded together with cement, the cement having a similar coefficient of thermal expansion to other components in the atomic sensor.

11. The atomic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the atomic sensor functions as at least one of:
an atomic frequency standard; and
an atomic interferometer.

12. The atomic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cell is accompanied by at least one of:
a source of alkali material; and
a pump configured to maintain a vacuum within the vacuum cell.

13. A method for fabricating an atomic sensor, the method comprising:
aligning at least one laser source, configured to produce at least one laser beam, to one or more optical components;
aligning the one or more optical components with one another with respect to a vacuum cell;
bonding the at least one laser source to the one or more optical components;
bonding the one or more optical components to the vacuum cell, wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are fabricated from different materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion, where the one or more optical components are configured to split the at least one laser beam into at least a triad of laser beams, and when the atomic sensor experiences changes in temperature, an intersection point of the at least a triad of laser beams within the vacuum cell is preserved as a result of the similar coefficients of thermal expansion.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more optical components are configured to direct the at least a triad of laser beams into a prism, wherein the prism is part of the one or more optical components.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more optical components includes a Bragg transmission grating that is configured to split the at least one laser beam into the at least a triad of laser beams by passing through a Bragg transmission grating.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising depositing thin layers on a surface of the prism, such that the thin layers affect polarization of a laser beam that is reflected through total internal reflection at the surface of the prism.

17. An atomic sensor, the sensor comprising:
at least one laser source configured to produce at least one laser beam:
one or more optical components, wherein the one or more optical components are configured to direct the at least one laser beam, the one or more optical components comprising:
a prism, wherein the prism has thin layers deposited upon a surface thereof, wherein the thin layers provide a desired polarization of a laser beam that is reflected through total internal reflection at the surface of the prism; and a vacuum cell, wherein the one or more optical components direct the at least one laser into the vacuum cell.

18. The atomic sensor of claim 17 , wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are bonded together, wherein the one or more optical components and the vacuum cell are fabricated from different materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Fertig Chad
• Fritz Bernard
• Nelson Karl D

Classifications

• G01B9/02

  Interferometers · CPC title

• G04F5/14 Primary

  using atomic clocks · CPC title