Session P3a: Low-SWaP Clocks and Oscillators

MATU (Miniature Assured Timing Unit) Low Cost Chip Scale Atomic Clock
Chad Fertig, Argyrios Dellis, Karl Nelson, Brian Benton, Phil Armstrong, Ryan Shea, Honeywell International
Location: Seaview A/B
Date/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 1:50 p.m.

Honeywell is developing the Miniature Assured Timing Unit (MATU), a chip-scale atomic clock for critical time holdover applications in which stringent size (<8cc), power (<150mW) and accuracy (<1us/day) are required, and for which a low cost of production would enable widespread adoption.
MATU is a coherent population trapping (CPT) clock utilizing MEMS technology to achieve miniaturization and batch manufacturability.
The clock is composed of a ~1mm rubidium vapor cell, 795nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), and a photodiode light detector. A 10 MHz VCTCXO drives a 3.4GHz synthesizer used to modulate the VCSEL wavelength. A CPT signal is then processed to generate the required steering voltage to stabilize the VCTCXO frequency that is output to the user, along with a 1pps signal.

In this talk we will discuss key aspects of the design and manufacture of MATU, and present recent results.