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ACS Photonics

Chip-Scale Single-Beam Atomic Magnetometer Enabled by Spin-Selective Interference Meta-Optics

Jinsheng Hu, Zihua Liang, Peng Zhou, Lu Liu, Gen Hu, Mao Ye

Published Dec 20, 2024• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Emerging atomic magnetometers (AMs) are among the most advanced sensors for detecting and characterizing magnetic fields. Recently, there has been growing interest in the miniaturization and integration of AMs due to the urgent demand for portability and compactness in various fields such as biomagnetism imaging. While conventional AMs require a bulky setup of optical devices for the pumping and optical readout of atomic spin, here, a novel chip-scale single-beam AM scheme is proposed by leveraging extreme transmissive circular polarization dichroism (TCPD) and geometric phase manipulation of spin-selective interference meta-optics. This is achieved through silicon-based metasurfaces that enable the realization of arbitrary-to-circular polarization conversion and wavefront modulation within a monolithic chip at Rb D1 transition wavelength (λ = 795 nm). Two spin-selective interference metasurfaces, i.e., meta-circular-polarizer (MCP) and meta-circular-polarizer-lens (MCPL), are fabricated and characterized, with a measured TCPD of 0.68 for the MCP as well as focusing efficiency and TCPD of around 70.67% and 0.69 for the MCPL, respectively. As a proof of concept, a 4 × 4 × 4 mm 3 Rb vapor cell is combined with our metasurface to construct a miniaturized single-beam AM. The sensitivity of our compact metasurface-based system is about 15 fT/Hz 1/2, with a dynamic range near zero-field of ± 2.2 nT. We envision that this work could facilitate the development of burgeoning chip-scale quantum sensors, which hold great potential for high-spatial-resolution biomagnetic imaging, on-chip nuclear magnetic resonance, and so forth.

DOI
10.1021/acsphotonics.4c01638

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Emerging atomic magnetometers (AMs) are among the most advanced sensors for detecting and characterizing magnetic fields. Recently, there has been growing interest in the miniaturization and integration of AMs due to the urgent demand for portability and compactness in various fields such as biomagnetism imaging. While conventional AMs require a bulky setup of optical devices for the pumping and optical readout of atomic spin, here, a novel chip-scale single-beam AM scheme is proposed by leveraging extreme transmissive circular polarization dichroism (TCPD) and geometric phase manipulation of spin-selective interference meta-optics. This is achieved through silicon-based metasurfaces that enable the realization of arbitrary-to-circular polarization conversion and wavefront modulation within a monolithic chip at Rb D1 transition wavelength (λ = 795 nm). Two spin-selective interference metasurfaces, i.e., meta-circular-polarizer (MCP) and meta-circular-polarizer-lens (MCPL), are fabricated and characterized, with a measured TCPD of 0.68 for the MCP as well as focusing efficiency and TCPD of around 70.67% and 0.69 for the MCPL, respectively. As a proof of concept, a 4 × 4 × 4 mm 3 Rb vapor cell is combined with our metasurface to construct a miniaturized single-beam AM. The sensitivity of our compact metasurface-based system is about 15 fT/Hz 1/2, with a dynamic range near zero-field of ± 2.2 nT. We envision that this work could facilitate the development of burgeoning chip-scale quantum sensors, which hold great potential for high-spatial-resolution biomagnetic imaging, on-chip nuclear magnetic resonance, and so forth.
Abstract Emerging miniaturized atomic sensors such as optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have attracted widespread interest due to their application in high‐spatial‐resolution biomagnetism imaging. While optical probing systems in conventional OPMs require bulk optical devices including linear polarizers and lenses for polarization conversion and wavefront shaping, which are challenging for chip‐scale integration. In this study, an integrated optical probing scheme based on localized‐interference metasurface for chip‐scale OPM is developed. Our monolithic metasurface allows tailorable linear polarization conversion and wavefront manipulation. Two silicon‐based metasurfaces namely meta‐polarizer and meta‐polarizer‐lens are fabricated and characterized, with maximum transmission efficiency and extinction ratio (ER) of 86.29 % and 14.2 dB for the meta‐polarizer as well as focusing efficiency and ER of 72.79 % and 6.4 dB for the meta‐polarizer‐lens, respectively. A miniaturized vapor cell with 4 × 4 × 4 mm 3 dimension containing 87 Rb and N 2 is combined with the meta‐polarizer to construct a compact zero‐field resonance OPM for proof of concept. The sensitivity of this sensor reaches approximately 9 fT/Hz 1/2 with a dynamic range near zero magnetic field of about ±2.3 nT. This study provides a promising solution for chip‐scale optical probing, which holds potential for the development of chip‐integrated OPMs as well as other advanced atomic devices where the integration of optical probing system is expected.
High-performance atomic magnetometers (AMs) rely on the measurement of optical rotation, which requires a set of bulky polarization optics that limit their applications in scenarios where portability and compactness are necessary. In this study, a miniaturized AM is constructed based on a cubic 87 Rb vapor cell and monolithic metalens, which provides an integrated scheme to achieve optical rotation detection induced by the circular birefringence of polarized atoms. The designed metalens achieves polarization splitting with deflection angles of ±10 ∘ and focusing with efficiencies of approximately 30% for orthogonal linear polarizations. The sensitivity of our compact device is ∼30 fT/Hz 1/2 with a dynamic range of around ±1.45 nT. We envision that the presented approach paves the way for the chip integration of emerging atomic devices, which are in demand for applications such as biomagnetic imaging and portable atomic gyroscopes.
Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have undergone rapid development in recent years. The optical probing system, which plays a crucial role in interrogating quantum state of atoms under external perturbations, is an essential component in OPMs. However, conventional optical probing schemes rely on bulky optical components and tedious adjustment procedures, which hinder their applications in portable or compact scenarios. In this study, a method has been proposed in order to overcome these limitations by a metasurface, which is based on localized - interference effects. With the metasurface, we can simultaneously convert any incident polarized light into linearly polarized light and manipulate its wavefront. It achieves a maximum transmission efficiency of 91.7 % and a focusing efficiency of 91.3 %. Since the fabrication process of our metasurface is compatible with current complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication technology, it can be integrated with a vapor cell, which is the core sensing element for many advanced atomic devices. Our study proposes an optical probing scheme suitable for chip-scale OPMs, and laying the foundation for the mass production of other chip-scale atomic devices.
We demonstrate a single-beam atomic magnetometer (AM) capable of measuring a three-axis magnetic field with high-sensitivity, achieved by applying a small DC offset field and a high frequency modulation field. To satisfy the miniaturization demand of AMs, an elliptically polarized light detuned by 50 GHz from the resonance transition center is employed. The circularly polarized component is used to polarize the alkali-metal atoms, while the linearly polarized light is used to detect the dynamics of the polarized spin under a magnetic field. Based on theoretical analysis, parameters that significantly affect the performance are optimized, and a sensitivity of 20 fT/Hz 1/2 in x -axis, 25 fT/Hz 1/2 in y -axis, 30 fT/Hz 1/2 in z -axis is achieved with a miniature 4 × 4 × 4 mm 87 Rb vapor cell. Moreover, we also verify that the operation principle of AMs can be used to null background magnetic fields in-situ with isotropic compensation resolution of 6.7 pT, which provides an effectively precise method for zeroing ambient magnetic field. The high-sensitivity operating of an elliptically-polarized-laser-based magnetometer provides prospective futures for constructing a compact, low-cost AM, which is particularly applicable for non-invasive bio-magnetic imaging such as array-based magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetocardiography (MCG).
Abstract The powerful light field manipulation capability of metasurfaces offers a novel development perspective for the quantum precision measurement. By applying the phase-gradient metasurface (PGM) to atomic magnetometers (AMs), we have proposed and experimentally demonstrated a new type of compact single-beam elliptically polarized atomic magnetometers (EPAMs). Employing the fabricated chiral beam splitter PGM with high cross-polarization transmittance, a new atomic spin chirality detection method was devised, enabling the ultra-high sensitivity for extremely weak magnetic field measurement and achieving a high sensitivity of 2.67 pT/Hz1/2 under an external magnetic field of approximately 10,000 nT. The new AMs combine the pumping and probing polarized light, achieving a compact design. The fabricated PGM has a size of only 3 mm × 3 mm × 0.7 mm, which is beneficial for the miniaturization and integration of AMs. This work effectively expands the application of metasurfaces in the field of quantum precision measurement, and also provides a new viewpoint for the design and development of high-sensitivity and miniaturized AMs.
Abstract Optical magnetometers based on alkali vapors, such as rubidium, are among the most sensitive technologies for detecting and characterizing magnetic fields. Following the recent effort in miniaturizing atomic-based quantum technologies, the last years were marked by a growing interest in developing integrated quantum nanophotonic circuits for a vast range of applications. Motivated by the attractiveness of such chip-scale integration, we present and experimentally demonstrate an integrated magnetic sensing platform, based on a nanophotonic-chip interfaced to a microfabricated alkali vapor cell. Magnetically induced circular dichroism in rubidium vapor is measured using a planar structure that spatially resolves the handedness of incoming photons depending on their spin. The presented approach paves the way toward further integration of highly sensitive magnetometers, with potential for future applications, such as in high-spatial resolution magnetic vectorial imaging.