Laser Pumped Cesium Cell Miniature Oscillator

Peter J. Chantry, William R. Verbanets, Robert L. Cather

Abstract:	Our approach to a low-power compact atomic oscillator is based on the use of a diode laser to excite a small cell (-0.1 cm3) containing cesium vapor and buffer gases. Laser wavelength and power are controlled solely with current and temperature, providing a compact, low- power, rugged, spectrally-pure, collimated optical source. A succession of physics packages, when operated with analog laboratory electronics, have typically given short term Allan deviation of o(~)+r”~ 12x10-I’ for 10<~<2OOS. The clock electronics uses a single microprocessor, with time division multiplexing of the numerous control loops. A physics package operated uninterrupted for 285 days with first generation digital electronics, gave short term ~(2)~“~=2.5~10-‘~ , and @2)<3xlO-” for z<1x106 s, without removal of drift. Current designs compatible with a power goal of 300 mW over a 0 to 50 ‘C temperature range, within a 25 cm3 clock package are showing short term Allan deviation of (T(2)2”2 < 5x10-“.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1996) June 19 - 21, 1996 Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge, MA
Pages:	731 - 739
Cite this article:	Chantry, Peter J., Verbanets, William R., Cather, Robert L., "Laser Pumped Cesium Cell Miniature Oscillator," Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1996), Cambridge, MA, June 1996, pp. 731-739.
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