Universal detector for atomic and molecular beams
AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
InventorsJohn E. Bjorkholm, Jonathan C. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An atomic or molecular beam detector is disclosed wherein the beam to be detected is coupled through a chopper to form a spatially modulated beam which is then directed at the pressure sensitive surface of a small sensitive microphone. The electrical output signal of this microphone is coupled to a phase-sensitive detector in order to detect the energy that is present in the signal at the frequency corresponding to the chopping rate. In the specific embodiment disclosed, a light beam is also coupled through the chopper in order to develop a second electrical signal which is mixed with the electrical output of the microphone and then coupled through a low pass filter to provide a DC signal when the atomic or molecular beam is present.
Claims6
Apparatus for detecting the presence of an atomic or molecular beam comprising chopper means for interrupting said atomic or molecular beam at a predetermined rate in order to produce a spatially modulated beam, microphone means having an electrical output and a pressure-sensitive surface that is oriented to receive said spatially modulated beam, means for detecting the presence of energy in said electrical output at a frequency corresponding to said predetermined rate.
A particle beam detector comprising means for chopping said particle beam at a predetermined rate to produce a spatially modulated particle beam, microphone means having a pressure-sensitive surface that is oriented to intercept said spatially modulated particle beam to produce an electrical output signal at a frequency corresponding to said predetermined rate when a particle beam is present, means for detecting energy present in said electrical output signal at said frequency to provide a visual indication of the presence of said particle beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.