MICROFABRICATION AND PACKAGING OF A RUBIDIUM VAPOR CELL AS A PLASMA LIGHT SOURCE FOR MEMS ATOMIC CLOCKS

摘要

We report on the micro-fabrication and characterization of a chip-scale plasma light source based on a Rubidium (Rb) vapor cell. The Rb plasma light source is intended for use as an integrated optical pump-light source in miniature double-resonance Rb atomic clocks [1, 5]. The RF plasma is capacitively coupled using external electrodes, and the light source is impedance matched to the source for frequencies between 1 and 36 MHz. Rb vapor cells have been previously developed as reference cells for atomic clocks but not as light sources. This is the first reported Rb plasma emitted from a chip-scale device. Stable light emission is observed for over 18 days.