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Optics Letters

Microfabricated strontium atomic vapor cells

Jacob M. Pate, John E. Kitching, Matthew T. Hummon

Published Dec 9, 2022• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate strontium (Sr) atomic vapor cells having a total external volume of 0.63 cm 3 that can operate above 300 °C for times exceeding 380 h. The cells are fabricated using micromachined silicon frames anodically bonded to glass windows that have a 20-nm thick protective layer of Al 2 O 3 deposited on the interior surfaces. The presence of Sr vapor in the cell is confirmed through laser absorption spectroscopy for the 1 S 0 → 1 P 1 transition in Sr at 461 nm. Measurements of sub-Doppler linewidths indicated negligible (<3 MHz) broadening of this transition from residual background gas collisions. This compact and manufacturable, high-temperature atomic vapor cell can enable narrow-line optical frequency references based on strontium and other alkaline earth species.

DOI
10.1364/ol.476552

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We demonstrate strontium (Sr) atomic vapor cells having a total external volume of 0.63 cm 3 that can operate above 300 °C for times exceeding 380 h. The cells are fabricated using micromachined silicon frames anodically bonded to glass windows that have a 20-nm thick protective layer of Al 2 O 3 deposited on the interior surfaces. The presence of Sr vapor in the cell is confirmed through laser absorption spectroscopy for the 1 S 0 → 1 P 1 transition in Sr at 461 nm. Measurements of sub-Doppler linewidths indicated negligible (<3 MHz) broadening of this transition from residual background gas collisions. This compact and manufacturable, high-temperature atomic vapor cell can enable narrow-line optical frequency references based on strontium and other alkaline earth species.
We report a 100 kHz linewidth for the 1 S 0 to 3 P 1 intercombination line of 88 Sr atoms at 689 nm in a microfabricated (9×14×4.4) mm 3 vapor cell. This puts an upper bound on the residual gas pressure in the vapor cell of 10 mTorr. The microfabricated Sr vapor cell offers an inexpensive and scalable way to lock lasers in state-of-the-art cold-atom-based atomic clocks and quantum computing experiments. It also paves the way for compact and precise optical frequency references based on alkaline earth vapor cells.
We report on the atomic spectroscopy and laser frequency stabilization using a new type of a miniaturized glass vapor cell with a scalable thickness varying from 500 nm up to 8 μm. The cell is fabricated by lithography and etching techniques in a Pyrex glass substrate, followed by anodic bonding. It is filled with rubidium vapor using a distillation procedure. This simple and cost-effective fabrication method provides an attractive and compact solution for atomic cells, with applications in quantum metrology, sensing, communication, and light-vapor manipulations at the subwavelength scale. Using the fabricated cell, we have performed fluorescence and transmission spectroscopy of the Rubidium D2 line and observed sub-Doppler broadened lines. As an example, for a potential application, we have used the fabricated cell to demonstrate the stabilization of a 780 nm diode laser to the level about 10−10 in fractional frequency.
We describe the fabrication of chip-sized alkali atom vapor cells using silicon micromachining and anodic bonding technology. Such cells may find use in highly miniaturized atomic frequency references or magnetometers. The cells consist of cavities etched in silicon, with internal volumes as small as 1 mm3. Two techniques for introducing cesium and a buffer gas into the cells are described: one based on chemical reaction between cesium chloride and barium azide, and the other based on direct injection of elemental cesium within a controlled anaerobic environment. Cesium optical absorption and coherent population trapping resonances were measured in the cells.
This paper describes the fabrication of chip-scale alkali atom vapor cells, for use in highly miniaturized atomic frequency references, using silicon micromachining and anodic bonding technology. The cells consist of silicon cavities with internal volume ranging from a few mm/sup 3/ to less than 1 mm/sup 3/. The cells were filled with cesium and nitrogen buffer gas either by chemical reaction of cesium chloride and barium azide, or by direct injection of elemental cesium within a controlled anaerobic environment. Cesium optical absorption spectra were obtained from the cells, and coherent population trapping resonances with linewidths of about 1 kHz were measured.