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IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC)

Chip-Scale Integration of a SERF-Regime Optical Magnetometer

Lei Wu, Jintang Shang, Qi Gan, Yu Ji

Published May 1, 2016• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Highly sensitive optical magnetometers present high performance in detection of biological magnetic fields from the heart or the brain and have impact on other areas as diverse as magnetic resonance imaging, space science and remote monitoring. A chip-scale SERF-regime optical magnetometer based on a MEMS process is fabricated instead of a large-chamber one and the optical module and the vapor cell are fabricated based on the MEMS process. Industrialization, low cost and high systematic integration level of magnetic sensors can also be achieved based on the wafer-level packaging. Besides, a 200KHz AC electronic current was applied to the heaters for reducing magnetic noises generated by DC currents from heating resistors. The experimental setup based on a SERF-regime magnetometer to test magnetic fields is shown and results indicate that magnetic fields are tested successfully.

DOI
10.1109/ectc.2016.167

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Highly sensitive optical magnetometers present high performance in detection of biological magnetic fields from the heart or the brain and have impact on other areas as diverse as magnetic resonance imaging, space science and remote monitoring. A chip-scale SERF-regime optical magnetometer based on a MEMS process is fabricated instead of a large-chamber one and the optical module and the vapor cell are fabricated based on the MEMS process. Industrialization, low cost and high systematic integration level of magnetic sensors can also be achieved based on the wafer-level packaging. Besides, a 200KHz AC electronic current was applied to the heaters for reducing magnetic noises generated by DC currents from heating resistors. The experimental setup based on a SERF-regime magnetometer to test magnetic fields is shown and results indicate that magnetic fields are tested successfully.
We are developing a new detection scheme for magnetometers based on atomic vapor confined in millimeter-scale micromachined enclosures and atomic Zeeman transitions. By adding three micro-reflective mirrors and modifying the light path arrangement, the new detection scheme effectively hurdles the main obstacle which prevents SERF from being applied in chip scale sensors, i.e. the difficulty to implement the transverse laser fields using MEMS fabrication methods. Instead of guiding the pumping laser beam parallel to the wafer plates that is not compatible with MEMS fabrication, such scheme rotates both pumping and probing laser beams, and maintains the orthogonal relationship between them. Finally, several fabrication process suited for this scheme are discussed.
High sensitive SERF(spin-exchange-relaxation-free) atomic magnetometers play an important role in many fields including geophysical mapping, space science, nuclear magnetic resonance, health care and perimeter and remote monitoring. This paper presents a novel approach for the system integration of a SERF atomic magnetometer. First of all, Rb vapor cell integrated with micro heater and Helmholtz coils was selected as physic part of the system and the vapor cell was characterized by pressure broadening effect to analyze nitrogen buffer gas pressure in the vapor cell. Then optical module including laser, micro-lens to collimate light beam emitting from the laser, quarter-wave plate to circularly polarize laser beam was taken as optical pumping and probing source simultaneously, and the interaction of circularly polarized laser beam with rubidium atoms was detected by silicon PIN photo-detectors. At last, Laser module, physics part of the system and silicon PIN photo-detector were integrated on a glass wafer substrate benefiting from the characteristics of non-magnetic material and good flatness, based on the integrated SERF atomic magnetometer, weak magnetic field could be measured. Results demonstrate that the SERF atomic magnetometer is integrated successfully and could be used for the detection of weak magnetic field.
This paper introduces measurement of weak magnetic field using a novel design of chip-scale Spin Exchange Relaxation Free (SERF) atomic magnetometer based on a microfabricated Rubidium (Rb) vapor cell. The sensor, which integrates a micro-fabricated Rb vapor cell, a heater and related components, is fabricated by stacking printed circuit boards (PCB) and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) process technology. During the experiments, the noise of the measurement using the atomic magnetometer was obtained. In addition, a test of the simulated magnetic field was performed in a shielding cylinder, and the signal of the simulated magnetic field about 100 pT at 1.2 Hz was measured. The signal is processed by the software using a notch filter to suppress the Direct Current (DC) noise and 50Hz noise. This paper provides a novel micro-fabricated device for detecting weak magnetic field.
An integrated optically-controlled sensor, suitable for remote, high-sensitivity detection of magnetic fields is presented. The operation of the sensor both in earth field in a Bell-Bloom type configuration is demonstrated as well as in a spin-exchange relaxation-free mode (SERF) and reach sensitivities better than 500 fT/radicHz at 10 Hz. The design and initial measurements of a small atomic magnetometer that has no electrical connections near the sensor head is presented. The sensor is fabricated by use of methods derived from microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems and integrated with off-the-shelf micro-optical components. Light is coupled through fibers to and from the sensor head for interrogation of the atoms. Heating of the atomic vapor is achieved by a second fiber-coupled laser source, utilizing the absorption properties of the vapor cell.
Wafer-level integration of micro heater on an alkali vapor cell for chip-scale SERF magnetometers is presented. In order to obtain a suitable resistivity, polysilicon and aluminum are mixed as the target material. Magnetron sputtering is adopted to fabricate the heater on the surface of the alkali vapor cell. Various voltages are applied to the heater, of which the temperatures are measured by thermal sensitive sensors. Spin exchange relaxation free (SERF) atomic magnetometer with the heater integrated on the alkali vapor cell is characterized. Results show that the micro heater is successfully integrated on the alkali vapor cell. With the integrated heater, the rubidium vapor cell is heated up to 120°C by a 445kHz AC current. The sensitivity of the SERF magnetometer is 6.3pT/Hz1/2. Results also indicate that it provides an effective and low-cost solution for the miniaturization of atomic magnetometers.
A wafer-level optical package solution for chip-scale atomic magnetometers is presented, which is based on microelectronic fabrication process on a 4 inch wafer. A module is fabricated following the process. By measuring the intensity of the light, it is indicated that the quality of parallelism and polarizability of the laser beam from a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) in the module are acceptable. The frequency of the VCSEL is locked to D1 line of Rubidium through proper adjustment of temperature and driving current. The module is employed in an atomic magnetometer which operates in Mz configuration for the detection the strength of magnetic fields. Results show the feasibility of the package in a magnetometer system.