Atomic electron transition

In atomic physics and chemistry, an atomic electron transition (also called an electronic (de-)excitation, atomic transition, or quantum jump) is a change (or jump) of an electron from one energy level to another within an atom or artificial atom. It appears discontinuous as the electron "jumps" from one quantized energy level to another, typically in a few nanoseconds or less. Electron transitions cause the emission or absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the form of quantized units called photons. Their statistics are Poissonian, and the time between jumps is exponentially distributed. The damping time constant (which ranges from nanoseconds to a few seconds) relates to the natural, pressure, and field broadening of spectral lines. The larger the energy separation of the states between which the electron jumps, the shorter the wavelength of the photon emitted. The emitted photon changes the kinetic energy of the atom, enabling the laser cooling technology t

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New Miniaturized Microwave Cavity for Rubidium Atomic Clocks

Francesco Merli, Anja Skrivervik Favre, Maddalena Violetti

Nowadays there is an increasing need for radically miniaturized and low-power atomic frequency standards, for use in mobile and battery-powered applications. For the miniaturization of double-resonance (DR) Rubidium (Rb-87) atomic clocks, the size reduction of the microwave cavity or resonator (MWR) to well below the wavelength of the atomic transition (6.835 GHz for Rb-87) has been a long-standing issue. Here we present a newly developed miniaturized MWR, the mu-LGR, consisting of a loop-gap resonator based cavity with very compact dimensions (volume < 0.9 cm(3)). The mu-LGR meets the requirements of the atomic clock application and its assembly can be performed using repeatable and low-cost techniques. The concept of the proposed device was validated through simulations and prototypes were successfully manufactured and tested. High-quality DR spectra and first clock stabilities were demonstrated experimentally, proving that the mu-LGR is suitable for integration in a miniaturized atomic clock.

IEEE2012

The Microloop-Gap Resonator: A Novel Miniaturized Microwave Cavity for Double-Resonance Rubidium Atomic Clocks

Francesco Merli, Anja Skrivervik Favre, Maddalena Violetti

Nowadays mobile and battery-powered applications push the need for radically miniaturized and low-power frequency standards that surpass the stability achievable with quartz oscillators. For the miniaturization of double-resonance rubidium (Rb-87) atomic clocks, the size reduction of the microwave cavity or resonator (MWR) to well below the wavelength of the atomic transition (6.835 GHz for Rb-87) is of high interest. Here, we present a novel miniaturized MWR, the mu-LGR, for use in a miniature DR atomic clock and designed to apply a well-defined microwave field to a microfabricated Rb cell that provides the reference signal for the clock. This mu-LGR consists of a loop-gap resonator-based cavity with very compact dimensions (

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers2014

New miniaturized microwave cavity for Rubidium atomic clocks

Francesco Merli, Anja Skrivervik Favre, Maddalena Violetti, Jean-François Zürcher

Ieee2012

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