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AssigneesJapan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited, Tokyo Institute of Technology
InventorsMikio KOZUMA, Ryotaro INOUE, Tomoya SATO, Atsushi TANAKA, Toshiyuki HOSOYA
Estimating the term…
An atomic beam is quantum-mechanically collimated. The atomic beam is irradiated with a pumping laser beam and a filtering laser beam in this order. The pumping laser beam has a wavelength corresponding to a transition between a ground state and an excited state of atoms in the atomic beam. Irradiation with the pumping laser beam causes atoms to make transition from the ground state to the excited state and further relax from the excited state to a metastable state. The filtering laser beam has a wavelength corresponding to a transition between the ground state and the metastable state. By irradiating the filtering laser beam, atoms in the metastable state having velocity components equal to or smaller than a predetermined velocity component Δv in a traveling direction of the filtering laser beam are caused to make transition to the ground state.
A method for quantum-mechanically collimating an atomic beam comprising:
A collimator for quantum-mechanically collimating an atomic beam comprising an irradiation device configured to irradiate the atomic beam with a pumping laser beam and a filtering laser beam in this order, wherein
An atomic interferometer comprising:
An atomic gyroscope comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Gyrometers using the Sagnac effect, i.e. rotation-induced shifts between counter-rotating electromagnetic beams: ring laser gyrometers
Arrangements for handling particles or ionising radiation, e.g. focusing or moderating: using diaphragms, collimators
Arrangements for handling particles or ionising radiation, e.g. focusing or moderating: for confining neutral particles or handling confined…
Production or acceleration of neutral particle beams
Term end not estimated
The present disclosure generally relates to a technique for quantum-mechanically collimating an atomic beam.
In recent years, a collimated atomic beam has been used in atomic beam lithography, atomic interferometers, and the like. As techniques for collimating an atomic beam, the following techniques have been known, for example: a technique for collimating an atomic beam escaping from an atomic beam source by using two or more slits spaced apart from one another in a traveling direction of the atomic beam (for example, see the configuration shown in FIG. 2 of Non-Patent Literature 1), a technique for collimating by using a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D-MOT) mechanism (for example, see Non-Patent Literature 2), and a technique for collimating by using at least three laser beams arranged in parallel to one another (for example, see Patent Literature 1). In particular, the collimation technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is excellent in that it can be implemented with a small size (particularly a small size in the traveling direction of the atomic beam) and can achieve good collimation while reducing the drop in atomic flux.
(Patent Literature 1) Japanese Patent No. 6713643
The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The present disclosure itself, and manner in which it may be made or used, if any, may be better understood after a review of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing quantum collimation of a thermal atomic beam;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing quantum collimation of a cold atomic beam;
With regard to reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the drawings. 100: atomic beam source 100a: heater 100b: nozzle 110: atomic beam 110a: atomic beam 110b: convergent atomic beam 110c: atomic beam 200: vacuum container 201a: moving standing light wave 201b: moving standing light wave 201c: moving standing light wave 250: interference device 350: moving standing light wave generation device 351: laser beam source 352: lens 353: mirror 354: AOM 400: observation device 500: atomic interferometer 600: atomic gyroscope 700: collimator 701a: pumping laser beam 701b: filtering laser beam 710: irradiation device 721: laser beam source 722: laser beam source 740: lens
Embodiments of the herein disclosed technique for collimating an atomic beam will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are for understanding the embodiment, and the dimensions of each illustrated component are different from the actual dimensions.
In the exemplary embodiments, a collimator 700 quantum-mechanically collimates an atomic beam 110 escaping from an atomic beam source 100 contained in a vacuum container 200.