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IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

Geometry influence of the micro alkali vapor cell on the sensitivity of the chip-scale atomic magnetometers

Yu Ji, Qi Gan, Lei Wu, Jintang Shang

Published Jan 1, 2017• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper focuses on geometry influence of the micro alkali vapor cell on the sensitivity of the chip-scale atomic magnetometers. For the first time, by using micro spherical alkali vapor cells instead of traditional micro planar alkali vapor cells, we demonstrate a chip-scale atomic magnetometer with a ten-fold improvement in sensitivity experimentally. Besides, results also show that the micro spherical cell has improved anti-relaxation properties, especially at low buffer gas pressure. The geometry of the micro vapor cell might also be important for the performance of other chip-scale atomic devices including chip-scale atomic clocks, vector atomic microwave electrometers and atomic gyroscopes.

DOI
10.1109/memsys.2017.7863411

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This paper focuses on geometry influence of the micro alkali vapor cell on the sensitivity of the chip-scale atomic magnetometers. For the first time, by using micro spherical alkali vapor cells instead of traditional micro planar alkali vapor cells, we demonstrate a chip-scale atomic magnetometer with a ten-fold improvement in sensitivity experimentally. Besides, results also show that the micro spherical cell has improved anti-relaxation properties, especially at low buffer gas pressure. The geometry of the micro vapor cell might also be important for the performance of other chip-scale atomic devices including chip-scale atomic clocks, vector atomic microwave electrometers and atomic gyroscopes.
The designs of microfabricated alkali vapor cells play an important role when the atomic magnetometers are developing toward on-chip integration. This paper presents microfabricated spherical alkali vapor cells with improved sensitivity for chip-scale atomic magnetometers. A microfabricated spherical rubidium vapor cell and a traditional microfabricated planar rubidium vapor cell are designed for comparison, which are of the same volume and interconnected by a microchannel to acquire equal inner buffer gas pressure. In chip-scale spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometers, the rubidium polarization lifetimes of three pairs of spherical and planar vapor cells at different buffer gas pressures of 0.35, 0.73, and 2.00 amg are measured, respectively. The sensitivity of SERF atomic magnetometers using the vapor cells at a 0.35-amg buffer gas pressure is also measured. The results show that the transverse polarization lifetime of the spherical vapor cell is 2.46, 1.44, and 1.05 times that of the planar one at 0.35-, 0.73-, and 2.00-amg buffer gas pressures, respectively. Combining the improved polarization lifetime and increased optical path length, chip-scale SERF atomic magnetometer using the microspherical vapor cell has the sensitivity of 60 fT/Hz1/2from 5 to 15 Hz, while that based on the planar one is demonstrated with the sensitivity of 400 fT/Hz1/2from 5 to 15 Hz.
The paper presents a novel design for chip-scale atomic magnetometers using a micro spherical rubidium vapor cell. By modeling and calculation, it was found that compared with the traditional planar rubidium vapor cell with approximately the same internal volume and buffer gas pressure, the micro spherical rubidium vapor cell was demonstrated with improved polarization lifetime and optical length. Experiments show that chip-scale atomic magnetometers based on the micro spherical cell has a significantly improved signal to noise(S/N) and sensitivity for both85Rb and87Rb. The wafer-level micro spherical rubidium vapor cells are also of interests for applications on chip-scale atomic clocks, gyroscope, vector microwave electrometries and other quantum sensors.
Spin-exchange-relaxation-free (SERF) optical atomic magnetometers are facing the challenges of dramatic decrease of sensitivity when the alkali vapor cells become small. This paper focuses on the sensitivity improvement of the chip-scale atomic magnetometer (CSAM) by changing buffer-gas pressures inside the microfabricated vapor cells. The rubidium vapor cells with three different buffer-gas pressures were tested in the SERF magnetometer. The influences of vapor cell temperature and pumping laser power on the device sensitivity are also characterized for further optimization. Results show that the three atomic vapor cells, with N2buffer-gas pressure of 0.20, 0.88, and 2.35 amg, have sensitivities of 900, 500, and 150 fT/Hz1/2, respectively. Results indicated that when the alkali vapor cells continue to be smaller, high buffer-gas pressure would provide an effective way to reduce the wall collision and improve the performance of CSAMs.
Compared with superconducting quantum interference devices, chip-scale atomic magnetometers using the wafer-level micro alkali vapor cells can be used more conveniently in the applications of geophysical mapping, health care and remote monitoring. Drastic wall collisions and decreased polarization lifetime are the main barriers for the performance of the chip-scale atomic magnetometers. In this study, OTS organic films coated on the inner surface of the micro vapor cells were used to suppress wall collisions and improve polarization lifetime of the alkali atoms in the micro cells. First of all, the fabrication process of wafer-level micro OTS coated vapor cells is introduced, the process is based on anodic bonding technology. Then the prepared wafer-level micro OTS coated vapor cells have been characterized by the water-contact angle test and measured in the micro-machined spin-exchange relaxation free(SERF) atomic magnetometers. Results show that the OTS coating is effective after anodic bonding from the water contact angle test. Results also indicate that the spin exchange relaxation free atomic magnetometer using the micro OTS-coated vapor cell can operate successfully.
High-sensitivity sensors play a critical role in fundamental physics research, space magnetic field detection, geological monitoring, and biomedical applications. Atomic sensors, based on quantum mechanics principles, such as atomic magnetometers, atomic clocks, and atomic gyroscopes, etc. have emerged as pivotal technical equipment for precision measurements due to their exceptional sensitivity, low power consumption, and long-term stability. The atomic vapor cell, serving as the core component, facilitates quantum state manipulation via the Zeeman effect. Miniaturization and integration of these cells have not only advanced the development of portable atomic magnetometers but also provided a foundation for breakthroughs in chip-scale atomic clocks and enhanced navigation accuracy of atomic gyroscopes. The research progresses of chip-scale atomic vapor cells in recent years are reviewed. The advancements in alkali metal introduction methods, anti-relaxation surface coatings, and micro-nano fabrication techniques have enabled the miniaturization of atomic vapor cells while preserving high performance, creating new opportunities for the deployment of quantum sensing technologies across diverse fields. Looking ahead, multifunctional integration and material innovations in atomic vapor cells are expected to further broaden their applications in time-frequency standards, inertial navigation systems, and weak magnetic field measurements.