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Alkali-Metal Vapour Cell, Especially for an Atomic Clock, and Manufacturing Process

  • US 20150277386A1
  • Filed: 10/11/2013
  • Published: 10/01/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A alkali-metal vapour cell, intended in particular for inclusion in an atomic clock, adapted to be associated with a laser for emitting an external input laser beam striking the cell and with a photodetector for receiving an external output laser beam exiting the cell, the laser beam having passed through the cell, said cell comprising, on the one hand, a housing having an upstream optical window and a downstream optical window and forming an optical cavity filled with alkali-metal vapour such as vapour containing cesium, and on the other hand, micro-optical means arranged in the optical cavity and comprising an upstream optical reflector and a downstream optical reflector for reflecting the laser beam, said reflectors being inclined relative to one other, the upstream reflector being inclined relative to the plane (P) of the upstream window and to the axis of the input laser beam, such that:

  • the external input laser beam passes through the upstream window to form an internal input laser beam, the internal input laser beam is reflected on the upstream reflector and deflected towards the downstream reflector to form an internal intermediate laser beam, the internal intermediate laser beam is reflected on the downstream reflector and deflected towards the downstream window to form an internal output laser beam, and the internal output laser beam passes through the downstream window to form the external output laser beam, said cell further comprising upstream deflection means for deflecting the input laser beam, said means being located upstream of the upstream reflector, and, where appropriate, downstream deflection means for deflecting the laser beam reflected by the downstream reflector, said means being located downstream of the downstream reflector, so as to combine the deflection produced by the deflection means with the deflection produced by the associated reflector.

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