Integrated optical detection for atomic clocks and sensors

摘要

A device for preparing an ensemble of laser-cooled atoms and measuring their population includes a laser and a set of reflecting surfaces. The laser is able to produce a laser beam. The set of reflecting surfaces disposed to direct the laser beam along a multi-dimensional beam path to intersect a central space multiple times from different directions and retroreflect the laser beam to retrace the multi-dimensional beam path. The central space is able to have an ensemble of atoms or molecules. The atoms or the molecules are able to be cooled along one or more dimensions by the laser beam sent along the multi-dimensional beam path and able to be detected in the central space by an effect upon the laser beam sent along the multi-dimensional beam path.