Patent ID: 7965148
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: G04F

Abstract:
1. An atomic clock system comprising: an alkali beam cell comprising a reservoir chamber configured to evaporate an alkali metal and a detection chamber configured to collect evaporated alkali metal atoms; a beam interrogation system configured to generate an optical pump beam and at least one optical probe beam that illuminate the detection chamber to pump the evaporated alkali metal atoms as they are collected in the detection chamber; an optical detection system configured to provide a microwave signal having a controlled frequency to the detection chamber and to measure an intensity of the optical pump beam exiting the detection chamber to determine a transition frequency of the microwave signal corresponding to optimum photon absorption of the evaporated alkali metal atoms; and a photodetection system configured to measure an intensity of the at least one optical probe beam exiting the detection chamber and to generate an intensity signal, the intensity signal being provided to the optical detection system to substantially cancel Doppler broadening of the transition frequency resulting from non-orthogonal planar movement of the evaporated alkali metal atoms relative to the optical pump beam and the at least one optical probe beam.