Texas Instruments Corporation

David Brian McDonald

Roozbeh Parsa

Ann Gabrys

Paul Mawson

Anston Joel Lobo

An integrated microfabricated alkali vapor cell sensor includes two alkali vapor regions, with a signal path through each. One or two signal emitters, with associated optical signal rotators, such as quarter wave plates, provide circularly polarized input signals into the alkali vapor regions, so that a first signal through the first alkali vapor region is circularly polarized in an opposite direction from a second signal through the second alkali vapor region. Output signals from the two alkali vapor regions are transformed to linearly polarized signals and then measured by one or more signal detectors. A first Larmor frequency is estimated from the output signal from the first alkali vapor region, and a second Larmor frequency is estimated from the output signal from the second alkali vapor region. A heading error-free Larmor frequency is estimated from the first Larmor frequency and the second Larmor frequency.

Integrated microfabricated alkali vapor cell sensor with reduced heading error

An integrated microfabricated vapor cell sensor includes a transparent sensor cell body. The cell body has a cavity for a sensor fluid vapor which is covered by a first plate attached to the cell body. The sensor has a first signal path extending from a first signal emitter, through the cell body, through the cavity, through the cell body again, and to a first signal detector, and a second signal path extending through the cavity. The second signal path intersects the first signal path in the cavity. The second signal path may extend through the cell body, or may extend through the first plate. The signal emitters and signal detectors are located in the integrated microfabricated vapor cell sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

David Brian McDonald