A low-power reversible alkali atom source
Abstract
An electrically controllable, solid-state, reversible device for sourcing and sinking alkali vapor is presented. When placed inside an alkali vapor cell, both an increase and decrease in the rubidium vapor density by a factor of two are demonstrated through laser absorption spectroscopy on 10–15 s time scales. The device requires low voltage (5 V), low power (<3.4 mW peak power), and low energy (<10.7 mJ per 10 s pulse). The absence of oxygen emission during operation is shown through residual gas analysis, indicating that Rb is not lost through chemical reaction but rather by ion transport through the designed channel. This device is of interest for atomic physics experiments and, in particular, for portable cold-atom systems where dynamic control of alkali vapor density can enable advances in science and technology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 12, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4986197
Entities
People
- Christopher S. Roper
- Elizabeth A. Donley
- John E. Kitching
- Kevin Gilmore
- Logan D. Sorenson
- Matthew T. Rakher
- Russell P. Mott
- Songbai Kang
Organizations
- HRL Laboratories
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Naval Information Warfare Systems Command
- University of Colorado