NIST researchers are developing compact, manufacturable optical devices using warm atomic vapors for precision measurements and calibration. These “NIST on a Chip” devices could enable in-situ calibration in industrial settings, building on previous work on chip-scale atomic clocks.
The project focuses on integrating nanophotonic chips with vapor cells for applications in dimensional metrology and developing high-temperature vapor cells for studying alkaline earth species. Key technical points include:
1. Photonic chip for laser stabilization to an atomic vapor with 10^-11 instability
2. Architecture for photonic integration of an optical atomic clock
3. Miniaturized optical frequency reference for portable optical clocks
4. High-performance, compact optical standard
The research aims to develop low size, weight, and power optical frequency references based on miniature optical components, potentially surpassing the performance of hydrogen maser clocks.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/integrated-optical-atomic-devices
Keywords: optical, atomic, spectroscopy, precision, calibration
