US Patent:
20090039881, Feb 12, 2009
Inventors:
John Kitching - Boulder CO, US
Elizabeth A. Donley - Boulder CO, US
Eleanor Hodby - Boulder CO, US
Andrei Shkel - Irvine CA, US
Erik Jesper Eklund - Costa Mesa CA, US
International Classification:
G01R 33/26
G01R 33/02
Abstract:
An atomic magnetometer that simultaneously achieves high sensitivity, simple fabrication and small size. This design is based on a diverging (or converging) beam of light that passes through an alkali atom vapor cell and that contains a distribution of beam propagation vectors. The existence of more than one propagation direction permits longitudinal optical pumping of atomic system and simultaneous detection of the transverse atomic polarization. The design could be implemented with a micro machined alkali vapor cell and light from a single semiconductor laser. A small modification to the cell contents and excitation geometry allows for use as a gyroscope.