A low-power microstructured atomic oven for alkaline-earth-like elements

TL;DR

This paper introduces a microstructured atomic oven made of fused silica that enables low-power, miniaturized atom sources for alkaline-earth-like elements, crucial for compact quantum sensing devices like optical clocks.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel low-power, microstructured atomic oven design that significantly reduces power consumption for atom sources in quantum sensing applications.

Findings

Achieved atom loading rate above 10^8 atoms/sec

Operates with heating power below 250 mW

Demonstrated suitability for space-constrained quantum sensors

Abstract

Alkaline-earth-like elements play pivotal roles in advanced quantum sensing technologies, notably optical clocks, with unprecedented precision achieved in recent years. Despite remarkable progress, current optical lattice clocks still face challenges in meeting the demanding size, weight, and power consumption constraints essential for space applications. Conventional atom sources, such as ovens or dispensers, require substantial heating power, making up a significant fraction of the system's overall power consumption. Addressing this challenge, we present a novel microstructured atomic oven based on fused silica, designed for miniaturization and low-power operation. We characterize the oven by loading a magneto-optical trap with Yb evaporated from the oven and demonstrate operation with a loading rate above $10^8$ $\mathrm{atoms}/\mathrm{s}$ for heating powers below $250$ $\mathrm{mW}$.