Frequency modulation spectroscopy with localized fluorescence

    公开(公告)号:US11733655B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-08-22

    申请号:US17695986

    申请日:2022-03-16

    申请人: ColdQuanta, Inc.

    IPC分类号: G04F5/14 H03L7/26 G01N21/64

    摘要: A frequency-modulated spectrometry (FMS) output is used to stabilize an atomic clock by serving as an error signal to regulate the clock's oscillator frequency. Rubidium 87 atoms are localized within a hermetically sealed cell using an optical (e.g., magneto-optical) trap. The oscillator output is modulated by a sinusoidal radio frequency signal and the modulated signal is then frequency doubled to provide a modulated 788 nm probe signal. The probe signal excites the atoms, so they emit 775.8 nm fluorescence. A spectral filter is used to block 788 nm scatter from reaching a photodetector, but also blocks 775.8 nm fluorescence with an angle of incidence larger than 8° relative to a perpendicular to the spectral filter. The localized atoms lie within a conical volume defined by the 8° effective angle of incidence so an FMS output with a high signal-to-noise ratio is obtained.

    ATOMIC CLOCK WITH ATOM-TRAP ENHANCED OSCILLATOR REGULATION

    公开(公告)号:US20240160155A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-05-16

    申请号:US18215798

    申请日:2023-06-28

    申请人: ColdQuanta, Inc.

    IPC分类号: G04F5/14 G01N21/64 H03L7/26

    摘要: A rubidium optical atomic clock uses a modulated 778 nanometer (nm) probe beam and its reflection to excite rubidium 87 atoms, some of which emit 758.8 nm fluorescence as they decay back to the ground state. A spectral filter rejects scatter of the 778 nm probe beams while transmitting the 775.8 nm fluorescence so that the latter can be detected with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Since the spectral filter is only acceptably effective at angles of incidence less than 8° from the perpendicular, the atoms are localized by a magneto-optical trap so that most of the atoms lie within a conical volume defined by the 8° angle so that the resulting fluorescence detection signal has a high signal-to-noise ratio. The fluorescence detection signal can be demodulated to provide an error signal from which desired adjustments to the oscillator frequency can be calculated.

    Atomic clock with atom-trap enhanced oscillator regulation

    公开(公告)号:US11754979B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-09-12

    申请号:US17695968

    申请日:2022-03-16

    申请人: ColdQuanta, Inc.

    IPC分类号: G04F5/14 H03L7/26 G01N21/64

    摘要: A rubidium optical atomic clock uses a modulated 778 nanometer (nm) probe beam and its reflection to excite rubidium 87 atoms, some of which emit 758.8 nm fluorescence as they decay back to the ground state. A spectral filter rejects scatter of the 778 nm probe beams while transmitting the 775.8 nm fluorescence so that the latter can be detected with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Since the spectral filter is only acceptably effective at angles of incidence less than 8° from the perpendicular, the atoms are localized by a magneto-optical trap so that most of the atoms lie within a conical volume defined by the 8° angle so that the resulting fluorescence detection signal has a high signal-to-noise ratio. The fluorescence detection signal can be demodulated to provide an error signal from which desired adjustments to the oscillator frequency can be calculated.

    Fluorescence detection with optical-trap-enhanced spectral filtering

    公开(公告)号:US11880171B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-01-23

    申请号:US17695979

    申请日:2022-03-16

    申请人: ColdQuanta, Inc.

    IPC分类号: G01N21/64 G04F5/14 H03L7/26

    摘要: A fluorescence detection process begins by localizing rubidium 87 atoms within an optical (all-optical or magneto-optical) trap so that at least most of the atoms in the trap are within a cone defined by an effective angle, e.g., 8°, of a spectral filter. Within the effective angle of incidence, the filter effectively rejects (reflects or absorbs) 778 nanometer (nm) fluorescence and effectively transmits 775.8 nm fluorescence. Any 775.8 nm fluorescence arrive outside the effective angle of incidence. Thus, using an optical trap to localize the atoms within the cone enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of the fluorescence transmitted through the spectral filter and arriving a photomultiplier or other photodetector, resulting fluorescence detection signal with an enhanced S/N.

    Frequency modulation spectroscopy with localized fluorescence

    公开(公告)号:US11687042B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-06-27

    申请号:US17695986

    申请日:2022-03-16

    申请人: ColdQuanta, Inc.

    IPC分类号: G04F5/14 H03L7/26 G01N21/64

    摘要: A frequency-modulated spectrometry (FMS) output is used to stabilize an atomic clock by serving as an error signal to regulate the clock's oscillator frequency. Rubidium 87 atoms are localized within a hermetically sealed cell using an optical (e.g., magneto-optical) trap. The oscillator output is modulated by a sinusoidal radio frequency signal and the modulated signal is then frequency doubled to provide a modulated 788 nm probe signal. The probe signal excites the atoms, so they emit 775.8 nm fluorescence. A spectral filter is used to block 788 nm scatter from reaching a photodetector, but also blocks 775.8 nm fluorescence with an angle of incidence larger than 8° relative to a perpendicular to the spectral filter. The localized atoms lie within a conical volume defined by the 8° effective angle of incidence so an FMS output with a high signal-to-noise ratio is obtained.