A Solid-State Atomic Frequency Standard

Christopher J. White, Ali Hajimiri

Abstract:	This paper describes a new class of frequency reference. The frequency source uses the same operating principle as a passive atomic frequency standard; however, the device is entirely solid-state, removing many cost and reliability issues associated with gas phase atomic clocks. More specifically, the “atomic resonance” is derived from zero-field magnetic resonance transitions of the vanadium ion in magnesium oxide. The characteristics of these resonances will be described in detail. The apparatus for measuring the “atomic” resonances uses a microwave resonant cavity and frequency-discriminator circuit. Using integrated circuits, the radio-frequency signal processing functions can be implemented at very low cost in a reliable manufacturing process. We discuss the system design and the measurement sensitivity. The estimated short term stability is in the range of 10 to 10 @ 1 s. Advantages of the new frequency reference may include immunity to vibration, reduced aging compared to crystal oscillators, and immediate cold start.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 37th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting August 29 - 31, 2005 Vancouver, Canada
Pages:	940 - 946
Cite this article:	White, Christopher J., Hajimiri, Ali, "A Solid-State Atomic Frequency Standard," Proceedings of the 37th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Vancouver, Canada, August 2005, pp. 940-946.
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