Patent ID: 7859350
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: G04F,H03L

Abstract:
1. A microfabricated ion frequency standard, comprising: a source of ytterbium ions located within a permanently-sealed vacuum package, the source of the ytterbium ions comprising: an octupole ion trap located within the permanently-sealed vacuum package to confine the ytterbium ions, with the octupole ion trap being formed from a plurality of substrates which are stacked up, and with each substrate having an opening therethrough in which a pair of electrodes are suspended to provide an electric field which confines the ytterbium ions within a trap volume; a microwave source to irradiate the ytterbium ions at a frequency which is substantially equal to a ground-state transition frequency of the ytterbium ions, thereby exciting the ytterbium ions from a ground-state lower hyperfine level into a ground-state upper hyperfine level; a frequency-doubled vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) to irradiate the ytterbium ions in the ground-state upper hyperfine level and thereby excite the ytterbium ions from the ground-state upper hyperfine level into an excited-state level, with the ytterbium ions in the excited-state level decaying from the excited-state level with the emission of fluorescent light; and a photodetector to detect the fluorescent light and to generate therefrom an electrical output signal which is provided in a feedback loop to tune the frequency of the microwave source to the ground-state transition frequency.