US 12,242,141 B2
Atomic optical reference system
Eric A. Imhof, Albuquerque, NM (US); Steven Ryan Jefferts, Chatsworth, CA (US); and Vyacheslav Lebedev, Redondo Beach, CA (US)
Assigned to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Falls Church, VA (US)
Filed by Eric A. Imhof, Albuquerque, NM (US); Steven Ryan Jefferts, Chatsworth, CA (US); and Vyacheslav Lebedev, Redondo Beach, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/297,886.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/332,095, filed on Apr. 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0333415 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G04F 5/14 (2006.01); G02F 1/01 (2006.01); G05D 25/02 (2006.01); H03L 7/26 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/0121 (2013.01) [G04F 5/14 (2013.01); G05D 25/02 (2013.01); H03L 7/26 (2013.01); G02F 2201/58 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An atomic optical reference system comprising:
an optical system comprising a laser configured to generate an optical beam;
a vapor cell comprising alkali metal atoms that are stimulated in response to providing a modulated beam through the vapor cell, the modulated beam corresponding to an amplitude-modulated version of the optical beam;
a detection system configured to monitor at least one detection signal corresponding to light emitted from or absorbed by the vapor cell and to generate at least one feedback signal in response to the at least one detection signal; and
a beam modulator configured to amplitude-modulate the optical beam to generate the modulated beam and to frequency shift the optical beam to generate an output beam having a stable frequency in response to the at least one feedback signal, wherein the modulated beam and the output beam are isolated with respect to each other.