Chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) and method for making same
First Claim
1. A clock comprising:
- a portable, at least partially evacuated housing;
a cell being positioned within said housing and including an internal cavity having interior dimensions each less than about 1 millimeter, an intra-cavity pressure of at least about 760 Torr, and containing a metal atomic vapor;
an electrical to optical energy converter being positioned to emit light through said metal atomic vapor;
an optical energy intensity detector being positioned to receive said light emitted by said converter through said metal atomic vapor;
at least one conductive winding around said cavity for stabilizing the magnetic field experienced in said cavity dependently upon said detector; and
, an output for providing a signal dependently upon said detector detecting said light emitted by said converter through said metal atomic vapor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A clock including: a portable, at least partially evacuated housing; a cell being positioned within the housing and including an internal cavity having interior dimensions each less than about 1 millimeter, an intra-cavity pressure of at least about 760 Torr, and containing a metal atomic vapor; an electrical to optical energy converter being positioned within the housing to emit light through the metal atomic vapor; an optical energy intensity detector being positioned within the housing to receive the light emitted by the converter through the metal atomic vapor; at least one conductive winding around the cavity to stabilize the magnetic field experienced in the cavity dependently upon the detector; and, an output to provide a signal from the housing dependently upon the detector detecting the light emitted by the converter through the metal atomic vapor.
87 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A clock comprising:
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a portable, at least partially evacuated housing;
a cell being positioned within said housing and including an internal cavity having interior dimensions each less than about 1 millimeter, an intra-cavity pressure of at least about 760 Torr, and containing a metal atomic vapor;
an electrical to optical energy converter being positioned to emit light through said metal atomic vapor;
an optical energy intensity detector being positioned to receive said light emitted by said converter through said metal atomic vapor;
at least one conductive winding around said cavity for stabilizing the magnetic field experienced in said cavity dependently upon said detector; and
,an output for providing a signal dependently upon said detector detecting said light emitted by said converter through said metal atomic vapor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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9. The clock of claim 9, wherein said cavity further contains an approximately 72.5% Nitrogen and 27.5% Argon gas mixture at a pressure greater than about 760 Torr.
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17. The clock of claim 17, wherein said multilayer reflectors are substantially un-doped.
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20. The clock of claim 20, wherein said VCSEL has a threshold current around 0.5 mA or less.
Specification