Patent ID: 8319156

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an interrogation cell in a substrate, said interrogation cell having an entrance window and an exit window; a first transparent thin-film heater in thermal communication with said entrance window and having proximal and distal ends, said transparent thin-film heater comprising: a first layer in communication with a first pole contact at said proximal end and a layer coupler contact at said distal end; a second layer in communication with a second pole contact at said proximal end, said second layer electrically coupled to said layer coupler contact at said distal end; and an insulating layer sandwiched between said first and second layers, said insulating layer having an opening at said distal end to admit said layer coupler contact and to insulate the remainder of said second layer from said first layer; wherein said first and second pole contacts are available to complete an electric circuit at said proximal end, with magnetic fields for each of said first and second layers oriented in opposing directions when a current is applied through the circuit.