Integrating planar photonics for multi-beam generation and atomic clock packaging on chip

The commercialization of atomic technologies requires replacing laboratory-scale laser setups with compact and manufacturable optical platforms. Complex arrangements of free-space beams can be generated on chip through a combination of integrated photonics and metasurface optics. In this work, we combine these two technologies using flip-chip bonding and demonstrate an integrated optical architecture for realizing a compact strontium atomic clock. Our planar design includes twelve beams in two co-aligned magneto-optical traps. These beams are directed above the chip to intersect at a central location with diameters as large as 1 cm. Our design also includes two co-propagating beams at lattice and clock wavelengths. These beams emit collinearly and vertically to probe the center of the magneto-optical trap, where they will have diameters of approximate to 100 mu m. With these devices we demonstrate that our integrated photonic platform is scalable to an arbitrary number of beams, each with different wavelengths, geometries, and polarizations.

Automated summary

The commercialization of atomic technologies requires compact and manufacturable optical platforms. This work combines integrated photonics and metasurface optics to create a compact strontium atomic clock. The design includes twelve beams and two co-propagating beams, allowing scalability to an arbitrary number of beams.