DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF FREQUENCY GENERATION USING AN ATOMIC RESONATOR

• US 20120326793A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dimension 4 Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dimension 4 Ltd.
• Inventors: Gan, Lahav
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 331/3
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/14 using atomic clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/145 using Coherent Population Trapping
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 17/00 Generation of oscillations using radiation source and detector, e.g. with interposed variable obturator
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 19/00 Generation of oscillations by non-regenerative frequency multiplication or division of a signal from a separate source transference of modulation from one carrier to another H03D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/26 using energy levels of molecules, atoms, or subatomic particles as a frequency reference

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of generating a frequency reference using a solid-state atomic resonator formed by a solid-state material including an optical cavity having color centers. A device may include a solid-state atomic clock to generate a clock frequency signal, the solid-state atomic dock including a solid state atomic resonator formed by a solid-state material including an optical cavity having color centers, which are capable of exhibiting hyperfine transition, wherein the solid-state atomic clock may generate the clock frequency signal based on a hyperfine resonance frequency of the color centers.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a solid-state atomic clock to generate a clock frequency signal, the solid-state atomic clock comprising;

a solid state atomic resonator formed by a solid-state material including an optical cavity having color centers, which are capable of exhibiting hyperfine transition,

wherein the solid-state atomic clock generates the clock frequency signal based on a hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the solid-state atomic dock includes a solid-state atomic resonator module including the solid state atomic resonator,

wherein the solid-state atomic resonator module is configured to receive an input frequency signal, which is based on said clock frequency signal,

and wherein the solid-state atomic resonator module is configured to generate an error frequency signal proportional to a difference between the input frequency signal and the hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the solid-state atomic clock comprises:

a feedback circuit configured to generate an error-correction signal based on the error frequency signal provided by said solid-state atomic resonator module;

a controlled oscillator configured to generate said clock frequency signal based on said error-correction signal; and

a frequency multiplier configured to generate said input frequency signal to said solid-state atomic resonator module by multiplying a frequency of said clock frequency signal.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the solid-state atomic resonator module comprises a light source configured to generate light for illuminating said solid-state atomic resonator, and a photo detector to generate the error frequency signal based on detected photo-luminescence of said color centers.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the solid state atomic resonator module comprises a microwave element configured to transmit a microwave electromagnetic wave upon said solid state atomic resonator, the microwave electromagnetic wave has a frequency, which is based on the input frequency signal to said solid-state atomic resonator module.

6. The device claim 4, wherein the solid state atomic resonator module comprises a modulated coherent light source configured to generate the light for illuminating said solid-state atomic resonator based on said input frequency signal to said solid-state atomic resonator module.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said solid-state material comprises diamond, and wherein the color centers comprise Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers in said diamond.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said solid-state material comprises:

at least one diamond crystal embedded by Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said at least one diamond crystal comprises

a diamond plurality of nano-crystals.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical cavity is formed by a plurality of bragg reflectors.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical cavity is formed by a photonic crystal structure.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein. the solid-state atomic resonator module comprises a magnetic shield encircling the atomic resonator.

13. The device of claim 1, comprising an integrated circuit including said solid-state atomic clock.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said solid-state atomic clock is integrated on a single semiconductor substrate.

15. A method of obtaining a frequency reference, the method comprising:

illuminating a solid state atomic resonator formed by a solid-state material including an optical cavity having color centers, such that the color centers exhibit hyperfine transition; and

generating a clock frequency signal based on a hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising:

determining an error frequency based on the clock frequency signal and the hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers; and

adjusting said clock frequency signal based on said error frequency.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising generating an input frequency signal to said solid state atomic resonator based on said clock frequency signal, wherein determining the error frequency comprises determining the error frequency based on a difference between the input frequency signal and the hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising detecting photo-luminescence of said color centers, and determining the error frequency based on the detected photo-luminescence of said color centers.

19. The method of claim 17 comprising:

transmitting a microwave electromagnetic wave upon said solid state atomic resonator, the microwave electromagnetic wave has a frequency, which is based on said input frequency signal; and

determining the error frequency based on photo-luminescence of said color centers responsive to said microwave electromagnetic wave.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said illuminating comprises illuminating said solid-state atomic resonator, with light which is based on said input frequency signal, and wherein determining the error frequency comprises determining the error frequency based on the photo-luminescence of said color centers.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said solid-state material comprises diamond, and wherein the color centers comprise Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers in said diamond.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein said solid-state material comprises:

at least one diamond crystal embedded by Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one diamond crystal comprises a diamond plurality of nano-crystals.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the optical cavity is formed by a plurality of bragg reflectors.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the optical cavity is formed by a photonic crystal structure.

26. The method of claim 15, comprising receiving said clock frequency signal and performing an operation based on the clock frequency signal.

27. A system comprising:

at least one electronic device including;

a solid-state atomic clock to generate a clock frequency signal, the solid-state atomic clock comprising;

a solid state atomic resonator formed by a solid-state material including an optical cavity having color centers, which are capable of exhibiting hyperfine transition,

wherein the solid-state atomic clock generates the clock frequency signal based on a hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers; and

at least one electronic module to receive said clock frequency signal and perform an operation based on the clock frequency signal.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the solid-state atomic clock includes a solid-state atomic resonator module including the solid state atomic resonator,

wherein the solid-state atomic resonator module is configured to receive an input frequency signal, Which is based on said clock frequency signal,

and wherein the solid-state atomic resonator module is configured to generate an error frequency signal proportional to a difference between the input frequency signal and the hyperfine resonance frequency of said color centers.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the solid-state atomic clock comprises:

a feedback circuit configured to generate an error-correction signal based on the error frequency signal provided by said solid-state atomic resonator module;

controlled oscillator configured to generate said clock frequency signal based on said error-correction signal; and

a frequency multiplier configured to generate said input frequency signal to said solid-state atomic resonator module by multiplying a frequency of said clock frequency signal.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the solid-state atomic resonator module comprises a light source configured to generate light for illuminating said solid-state atomic resonator and a photo detector to generate the error frequency signal based on detected photo-luminescence of said color centers.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said solid-state material comprises diamond, and wherein the color centers comprise Nitrogen-Vacancy color centers in said diamond.

32. The system of claim 27 comprising an integrated circuit including said. solid-state atomic clock.