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Sensors and Actuators A Physical

Towards a miniature atomic scalar magnetometer using a liquid crystal polarization rotator

J. Rutkowski, William Fourcault, F. Bertrand, Umberto Rossini, Stéphane Gétin, Stéphanie Le Calvez, Thomas Jäger, Étienne Herth, Christophe Gorecki, Matthieu Le Prado, Jean‐Michel Léger, Sophie Morales

Published May 13, 2014• 32 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.1016/j.sna.2014.05.003

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Abstract Atomic magnetometers (AMs) that use alkali vapors, such as rubidium, are among the most sensitive sensors for magnetic field measurement. They commonly use polarization differential detection to mitigate common‐mode noise. Nevertheless, traditional differential detection optics, including polarization beam splitters (PBS) and half‐wave plates, are typically bulky and large, which restricts further reductions in sensor dimensions. In this study, a combination of liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) and liquid crystal quarter‐wave plate is used for differential detection in AMs, with magnetic field strength determined by measuring the intensity of two diffracted beams from the LCPG. The experimental findings indicate that the fabricated LCPG exhibits a circularly polarized extinction ratio of 3,656 and achieves an average diffraction efficiency of 99 %. In addition, the differential detection method based on LCPG can achieve an angular resolution of 1.48 × 10 −7 rad. Subsequently, the method is employed in an AM to achieve an average magnetic sensitivity of 13.8 fT/Hz 1/2 . Compared to the PBS‐based differential detection method, this method enhances the magnetometer response coefficient by 13 % and achieves co‐side distribution of the two diffracted beams, thereby avoiding the need for additional vertical optical paths. The effective thickness of the detection optics is reduced to the micrometer scale, allowing for future integration as thin films onto microfabricated vapor cells. This study offers a practical solution for miniaturized AMs with exceptionally high sensitivity.
ABSTRACT Atomic magnetometers (AMs) are among the most sensitive magnetic field sensors, with uses in magnetic anomaly detection, geosciences, and fundamental physics research. Despite notable progress, developing highly integrated, miniaturized components with high resolution, sensitivity, and efficiency for chip‐scale AMs remains a significant challenge. Here, we present a novel integrated polarization detection scheme based on a bifocal liquid‐crystal polarization metalens (LCPM) for chip‐scale AMs. By leveraging geometric phase and holographic synthesis principles, the LCPM efficiently separates and focuses left‐ and right‐handed circularly polarized light at the rubidium D1 transition wavelength (795 nm), achieving a high focusing efficiency of up to 80% and extinction ratios of 104 and 134 for the two channels. We demonstrate a prototype AM operating in the spin‐exchange relaxation‐free regime, achieving a high magnetic‐field sensitivity of 17 fT/Hz 1/2 and a dynamic range of ±4.8 nT. The proposed LCPM‐based scheme reduces the optical‐path volume by 94% compared to traditional polarization detection systems. Importantly, our method is compatible with large‐scale, cost‐effective production through established liquid‐crystal manufacturing lines, paving the way for high‐throughput fabrication of chip‐scale AMs. This innovation enables compact, affordable polarization detection with enhanced sensitivity of atomic sensors, opening new opportunities for high‐resolution biomagnetic imaging and quantum precision measurements.