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Sensors

Ultra-High Vacuum Cells Realized by Miniature Ion Pump Using High-Efficiency Plasma Source

Yuichi Kurashima, Atsuhiko Maeda, Naoto Oshima, Taisei Motomura, Takashi Matsumae, Mitsuhiro Watanabe, Hideki Takagi

Published Jun 20, 2024• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In recent years, there has been significant interest in quantum technology, characterized by the emergence of quantum computers boasting immense processing power, ultra-sensitive quantum sensors, and ultra-precise atomic clocks. Miniaturization of quantum devices using cold atoms necessitates the employment of an ultra-high vacuum miniature cell with a pressure of approximately 10−6 Pa or even lower. In this study, we developed an ultra-high vacuum cell realized by a miniature ion pump using a high-efficiency plasma source. Initially, an unsealed miniature ion pump was introduced into a vacuum chamber, after which the ion pump’s discharge current, depending on vacuum pressures, was evaluated. Subsequently, a miniature vacuum cell was fabricated by hermetically sealing the miniature vacuum pump. The cell was successfully evacuated by a miniature ion pump down to an ultra-high vacuum region, which was derived by the measured discharge current. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of achieving an ultra-high vacuum cell necessary for the operation of miniature quantum devices.

DOI
10.3390/s24124000

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In recent years, there has been significant interest in quantum technology, characterized by the emergence of quantum computers boasting immense processing power, ultra-sensitive quantum sensors, and ultra-precise atomic clocks. Miniaturization of quantum devices using cold atoms necessitates the employment of an ultra-high vacuum miniature cell with a pressure of approximately 10−6 Pa or even lower. In this study, we developed an ultra-high vacuum cell realized by a miniature ion pump using a high-efficiency plasma source. Initially, an unsealed miniature ion pump was introduced into a vacuum chamber, after which the ion pump’s discharge current, depending on vacuum pressures, was evaluated. Subsequently, a miniature vacuum cell was fabricated by hermetically sealing the miniature vacuum pump. The cell was successfully evacuated by a miniature ion pump down to an ultra-high vacuum region, which was derived by the measured discharge current. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of achieving an ultra-high vacuum cell necessary for the operation of miniature quantum devices.
Abstract Advanced integration technologies greatly enhance the prospects and reliability of practical quantum sensors, atomic clocks, and quantum information technologies. The performance and proliferation of these devices at chip scale is contingent upon developing low leak and low gas permeation vacuum cells using wafer-scale techniques. Here, we demonstrate a novel, low-leak-rate micro-knife bonding approach, enabling the realization of both atomic vapor cells and more complex evacuated atomic beam devices. These devices are fabricated using selective laser etching in a fused silica platform. The vapor cells are mechanically robust exhibiting shear-force strength ∼ 15 MPa, demonstrate long lifetimes ( > 1 year), low residual gas pressures ( ≪ 10 − 3 mbar ) , and leak rates below fine-leak testing sensitivity ( ≪ 2.8 × 10 − 10 mbar ⋅ l s − 1 ). Micro-knife bonding greatly simplifies the fabrication process for complex chip scale atom-beam devices and atomic vapor cells while identifying a path to future chip-scale cold atom devices, improved chip scale atomic clocks, and fieldable dissipation-dilution-limited optomechanics.
Compact ultra-high vacuum systems are key enabling components for cold atom technologies, facilitating extremely accurate sensing applications. There has been important progress towards a truly portable compact vacuum system, however size, weight and power consumption can be prohibitively large, optical access may be limited, and active pumping is often required. Here, we present a centilitre-scale ceramic vacuum chamber with He-impermeable viewports and an integrated diffractive optic, enabling robust laser cooling with light from a single polarization-maintaining fibre. A cold atom demonstrator based on the vacuum cell delivers 10710^7107 laser-cooled 87^{87}87Rb atoms per second, using minimal electrical power. With continuous Rb gas emission active pumping yields a 10−7 10^{-7}\,10−7mbar equilibrium pressure, and passive pumping stabilises to 3×10−6 3\times 10^{-6}\,3×10−6mbar, with a 17 17\,17day time constant. A passively-pumped vacuum cell, with no Rb dispensing, has currently kept a similar pressure for a year. The passive-pumping vacuum lifetime is several years, estimated from short-term He throughput, with many foreseeable improvements. This technology enables wide-ranging mobilization of ultracold quantum metrology.
We present the design and vacuum performance of a compact room-temperature trapped ion system for quantum computing, consisting of an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) package, a micro-fabricated surface trap, and a small form-factor ion pump. The system is designed to maximize mechanical stability and robustness by minimizing the system size and weight. The internal volume of the UHV package is only ≈2 cm3, a significant reduction in comparison with conventional vacuum chambers used in trapped ion experiments. We demonstrate trapping of 174Yb+ ions in this system and characterize the vacuum level in the UHV package by monitoring both the rates of ion hopping in a double-well potential and ion chain reordering events. The calculated pressure in this vacuum package is ≈2.2×1011 Torr, which is sufficient for the majority of current trapped ion experiments.
A nonlinear analytical model for the pressure dynamics in a vacuum chamber, pumped with a sputter ion pump (SIP), is proposed, discussed and experimentally evaluated. The model describes the physics of the pumping mechanism of SIPs in the context of a cold-atom experiment. By using this model, we fit pump-down curves of our vacuum system to extract the relevant physical parameters characterizing its pressure dynamics. The aim of this investigation is the optimization of cold-atom experiments in terms of reducing the dead time for quantum sensing using atom interferometry. We develop a calibration method to improve the precision in pressure measurements via the ion current in SIPs. Our method is based on a careful analysis of the gas conductance and pumping in order to reliably link the pressure readings at the SIP with the actual pressure in the vacuum (science) chamber. Our results are in agreement with the existence of essentially two pumping regimes determined by the pressure level in the system. In particular, we find our results in agreement with the well-known fact that for a given applied voltage, at low pressures, the discharge current efficiently sputters pumping material from the pump’s electrodes. This process sets the leading pumping mechanism in this limit. At high pressures, the discharge current drops and the pumping is mainly performed by the already sputtered material.
Advanced integration technologies greatly enhance the prospects and reliability of practical quantum sensors, atomic clocks, and quantum information technologies. The performance and proliferation of these devices at chip-scale is contingent upon developing low leak and low gas permeation vacuum cells using wafer-scale techniques. Here we demonstrate both evacuated atomic beam cells and atomic vapor cells using plastic deformation micro-knife bonding of selectively etched fused silica wafers. The cells are characterized using saturated absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence measurements. Vapor cells are mechanically robust exhibiting sheer-force strength (∼15\sim 15∼15MPa), demonstrate long lifetimes (>1> 1>1 year), low residual gas pressures $ (\ll 10^{-3} \, \text{mbar}) ,andleakratesbelowfine−leaktestingsensitivity(, and leak rates below fine-leak testing sensitivity (,andleakratesbelowfine−leaktestingsensitivity(\ll 2.8 \times 10^{-10} \frac{\text{mBar} \cdot \text{L}}{\text{s}}$). Micro-knife bonding greatly simplifies the fabrication process for complex chip scale atom-beam devices and atomic vapor cells while identifying a path to future chip-scale cold atom devices, improved chip scale atomic clocks, and fieldable dissipation-dilution-limited optomechanics.
We report on the development of a highly miniaturized vacuum package for use in an atomic clock utilizing trapped ytterbium-171 ions. The vacuum package is approximately 1 cm(3) in size and contains a linear quadrupole RF Paul ion trap, miniature neutral Yb sources, and a non-evaporable getter pump. We describe the fabrication process for making the Yb sources and assembling the vacuum package. To prepare the vacuum package for ion trapping, it was evacuated, baked at a high temperature, and then back filled with a helium buffer gas. Once appropriate vacuum conditions were achieved in the package, it was sealed with a copper pinch-off and was subsequently pumped only by the non-evaporable getter. We demonstrated ion trapping in this vacuum package and the operation of an atomic clock, stabilizing a local oscillator to the 12.6 GHz hyperfine transition of (171)Y b(+). The fractional frequency stability of the clock was measured to be 2 × 10(-11)/τ(1/2).