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Quantum Science and Technology

Wafer-scale micro-knife sealed vacuum cells for quantum devices

Megan Kelleher, Konrad Ziegler, Jeremy Robin, Lianxin Huang, Mitchel Button, Liam Mauck, Judith Olson, Peter D. Brewer, Danny Kim, John E. Kitching, Ruwan Senaratne, William McGehee, Travis M. Autry

Published Jul 16, 2026• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1088/2058-9565/ae8bd3

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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.
This paper describes the progress made in developing wafer-scale fabrication process of alkali vapor cells for chip-scale atomic devices such as Coherent Population Trapping (CPT) clocks, optical frequency standards and Rydberg-atom-based sensors. The wafer level fabrication process uses anodic bonding and introduces alkali atoms by chemical reactions of Alkali Chloride with Barium Azide. This method is compatible to make cells with a wide range of buffer gas species and pressures, including evacuated cells. We improve the yield of the cells to above 50%. We will show the residual gas pressures for evacuated cells are mostly consistent with zero within the resolution of the saturation absorption spectroscopy measurement. The temperature coefficients for the CPT spectroscopy are improved with Ar-N2 mixture buffer gas compared with only N2 buffer gas.
We describe a process for fabricating a wafer-scale array of alkali metal vapor cells with low residual gas pressure. We show that by etching long, thin channels between the cells on the Si wafer surface, the residual gas pressure in the evacuated vapor cell can be reduced to below 0.5 kPa (4 Torr) with a yield above 50%. The low residual gas pressure in these mass-producible alkali vapor cells can enable a new generation of low-cost chip-scale atomic devices such as vapor cell optical clocks, wavelength references, and Rydberg sensors.
Herein, a microfabricated millimeter-level vapor alkali cell with a high hermeticity is fabricated through a wet etching and single-chip anodic bonding process. The vapor cell, containing Rb and N2, was investigated in a coherent population trapping (CPT) setup for the application of a chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC). The contrast of CPT resonance is up to 1.1% within the only 1 mm length of light interacting with atom. The effects of some critical external parameters on the CPT resonance, such as laser intensity, cell temperature, and buffer gas pressure, are thoroughly studied and optimized. The improved microfabricated vapor cell also exhibited great potential for other chip-scale atomic devices.
The most appealing features of chip-scale quantum sensors are their capability to maintain extreme sensitivity while enabling large-scale batch manufacturing. This necessitates high-level integration and wafer-level fabrication of atomic vapor cells. In this paper, we describe a micromachining paradigm for wafer-level atomic vapor cells functionalized by CMOS-compatible non-magnetic heaters and temperature sensors and demonstrate several innovative applications. Leveraging standard micro-nanofabrication technology, the integrated vapor cells achieved an ultra-long optical access of 5 mm, nearly four time that of previously microfabricated vapor cells. The feasibility of the integrated atomic vapor cells fabrication process was verified by a consecutive 30-day aging test in a harsh environment (operating temperature of 473 K and vacuum of approximately 1 Pa). Benefiting from the ultra-long optical path, we observed several typical quantum effects, including the saturation absorption and spin fluctuations, a regime previously inaccessible with conventional micromachined vapor cells. Finally, a zero-field quantum magnetometry with an ultra-high magnetic sensitivity of 12 fT/Hz1/2 was also demonstrated. Our achievements broaden the potential applications of microfabricated atomic vapor cells and pave the way for scalable manufacturing of ultrasensitive, chip-scale quantum sensors.