US 12,160,242 B1
Highly stable chip-scale atomic beam clocks using miniaturized atomic beams and monolithic clock chips
Travis Autry, Calabasas, CA (US); and Raviv Perahia, Agoura Hills, CA (US)
Assigned to HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA (US)
Filed by HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA (US)
Filed on May 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/197,041.
Int. Cl. H03L 7/26 (2006.01); G04F 5/14 (2006.01); H01S 5/00 (2006.01); H01S 5/02325 (2021.01); H01S 5/02375 (2021.01); H01S 5/183 (2006.01)
CPC H03L 7/26 (2013.01) [G04F 5/14 (2013.01); H01S 5/0071 (2013.01); H01S 5/02325 (2021.01); H01S 5/02375 (2021.01); H01S 5/183 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A chip-scale atomic beam clock comprising:
(a) a micro-optical bench that is fabricated from a silicon-containing material;
(b) an atom collimator configured to generate a collimated atomic beam via differential pumping through microchannels within said micro-optical bench;
(c) a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser configured to emit laser photons horizontally in the plane of said micro-optical bench;
(d) an in-plane diffraction grating configured to split said laser photons into a first photon beam and a second photon beam; and
(e) a first in-plane mirror configured to retroflect said first photon beam, and a second in-plane mirror configured to retroflect said second photon beam, wherein said first and second in-plane mirrors are lithographically defined within said micro-optical bench,
wherein said first photon beam and said second photon beam interrogate said collimated atomic beam in-plane with said micro-optical bench.