A microfabricated atomic clock

Fabrication techniques usually applied to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are used to reduce the size and operating power of the core physics assembly of an atomic clock. With a volume of 9.5 mm(3), a fractional frequency instability of 2.5x10(-10) at 1 s of integration, and dissipating less than 75 mW of power, the device has the potential to bring atomically precise timing to hand-held, battery-operated devices. In addition, the design and fabrication process allows for wafer-level assembly of the structures, enabling low-cost mass-production of thousands of identical units with the same process sequence, and easy integration with other electronics. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.