Communications of the ACM
NIST Chip Hints at Quantum Sensors of the Future
NIST's prototype chip measures quantities such as length with quantum precision.
Credit: NIST
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a new chip on which laser light interacts with a tiny cloud of atoms to act as a miniature toolkit for measuring important quantities such as length with quantum precision.
The researchers used the prototype chip to generate infrared light at a wavelength of 780 nanometers, the exact amount needed to be used as a length reference for calibrating other instruments. The NIST chip squeezes the atom cloud and structures for guiding light waves into less than one square centimeter. The chip works by transporting light from the external laser through a novel waveguide and grating structure to expand the beam diameter to probe about 100 million atoms until they change energy level.
The work proves that lasers and atomic vapor cells could be mass-produced together in the manner of semiconductors, using silicon materials and traditional chip-manufacturing techniques, says NIST's John Kitching.
From U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology
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