Seiko Epson Corporation

Epson Toyocom Corporation

Koji Chindo

Taku Aoyama

Nobuhito Hayashi

Yoshiyuki Maki

Noriaki Tanaka

Yasunori Onishi

Hiroyuki Yoshida

Tsunenori Shibata

Tomohiro Tamura

Shunsuke Watanabe

Katsuhiko Maki

Mutsuhiko Ota

Yukihiro Hashi

Naoki Ishihara

Hideaki Yajima

An atomic oscillator includes an atom cell that includes a first portion and a second portion at a position different from the first portion, and contains alkali metal atoms, a light emitting element that emits light for exciting the alkali metal atoms toward the atom cell, a first temperature measurement element that measures the temperature of the first portion, a first temperature control element that controls a temperature of the first portion based on the measurement result of the first temperature measurement element, a second temperature measurement element that is disposed in a portion having thermal resistance equal to or higher than thermal resistance between the first portion and the second portion, and measures a temperature of the portion, a second temperature control element that controls the temperature of the second portion to be higher than the temperature of the first portion based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement element or information on temperature control performed by the first temperature control element, and a light receiving element that receives light transmitted through the atom cell.

Atomic oscillator and frequency signal generation system

An atomic oscillator includes: an atom cell in which alkali metal atoms are accommodated; a light-emitting element that emits light beams for exciting the alkali metal atoms toward the atom cell; a shield that includes a first member, a second member, and a high thermal resistance portion and accommodates the atom cell, the first member and the second member being members having a magnetic shielding property, and the high thermal resistance portion being provided between the first member and the second member and having a thermal resistance higher than thermal resistances of the first member and the second member; a temperature control element that controls a temperature of the first member; a heater that is thermally coupled to the second member; and a light-receiving element that receives light beams passing through the atom cell.

A frequency signal generation apparatus includes a light source, an atom cell with gaseous alkali metal atoms and a buffer gas enclosed therein, through which light output from the light source passes, and a container with a gas containing gas molecules in common with the buffer gas enclosed, housing the atom cell, wherein pressure of the common gas molecules is substantially the same within the atom cell and within the container.

Frequency signal generation apparatus and frequency signal generation system

A frequency signal generation apparatus includes an atom cell including a first part including gaseous alkali metal atoms and a second part including liquid alkali metal atoms. A first temperature controller controls the first part's temperature. A second temperature controller controls the second part's temperature to be lower than that of the first part. First and second temperature detectors respectively detect the first and second parts' temperatures. The first temperature controller and the second temperature detector are thermally connected. The second temperature controller and the first temperature detector are thermally connected. The phase of a temperature control loop of the first part including the first temperature controller and the first temperature detector and the phase of a temperature control loop of the second part including the second temperature controller and the second temperature detector are different.

An atomic oscillator includes a light source unit including a light source and a first temperature control device controlling the light source to have a first temperature, an atom cell unit including an atom cell accommodating an alkali metal atom and that light emitted from the light source enters and a second temperature control device controlling the atom cell to have a second temperature different from the first temperature, and a container accommodating the light source unit and the atom cell unit and has a first surface and a second surface different from the first surface. The light source unit is mounted to the first surface, and an air gap is present between the light source unit and the second surface. The atom cell unit is mounted to the second surface, and an air gap is present between the atom cell unit and the first surface.

Atomic oscillator

An atomic oscillator includes a light emitting element, an atomic cell, and a light receiving element that receives the light passing through the atomic cell. The atomic cell has a first chamber containing alkali metal atoms in a gas state and having a first wall through which the light from the light emitting element passes, a second chamber containing alkali metal atoms in a liquid state and having a second wall, a passage connecting the first chamber and the second chamber to each other, and a part which is disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber and has a thermal conductivity lower than the thermal conductivity of a material forming the first wall and the thermal conductivity of a material forming the second wall.

An atomic oscillator includes: a light source; an atom cell containing a gaseous alkali metal atom, and a nitrogen- and argon-containing buffer gas, and through which light from the light source passes; a photodetector that detects light having passed through the atom cell; and a container containing only a mixed gas containing nitrogen and argon, and housing the atom cell.

An atomic oscillator includes a light source, an atom cell containing a gaseous alkali metal atom, and a nitrogen- and argon-containing buffer gas, and through which light from the light source passes, a photodetector that detects light having passed through the atom cell, and a container containing nitrogen gas and housing the atom cell. The container has a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, a fourth surface, a fifth surface, and a sixth surface. The first surface has a first through hole. At least one of the second surface, the third surface, the fourth surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface has a second through hole.

An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell encapsulating metal atoms, a coil disposed in a periphery of the gas cell, a laser source adapted to emit excitation light toward the gas cell, a heater adapted to heat the gas cell, and a wiring board adapted to supply the heater with power, and a plus line forming a plus current channel for the heater and provided to the wiring board, and a minus line forming a minus current channel for the heater and provided to the wiring board are disposed close to each other.

A light-emitting element module includes a light-emitting element that emits light, a base that has a depression portion in which the light-emitting element is accommodated, and a lid that covers an opening of the depression portion and is joined to the base. The lid includes a protrusion portion that protrudes on an opposite side to the base and has a hole through which the light passes and a window that is installed in the protrusion portion to block the hole and transmits the light. A surface of the window on a side of the light-emitting element is inclined with respect to a surface perpendicular to an optical axis of the light.

Light-emitting element module, atomic oscillator, and electronic apparatus

An atomic oscillator includes: an atomic cell in which an alkali metal is sealed; a light-emitting element that emits light to be radiated to the atomic cell; a light-receiving element that detects the light transmitted through the atomic cell; a first optical element that has light transmittance and is disposed between the atomic cell and the light-emitting element; and a second optical element that has light transmittance and is disposed between the first optical element and the atomic cell. The first optical element reflects the light from the light-emitting element toward the light-emitting element in a first direction inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light. The second optical element reflects the light from the light-emitting element toward the light-emitting element in a second direction inclined in a direction different from the first direction with respect to the optical axis of the light.

Atomic oscillator, and electronic apparatus

An atomic oscillator includes at least a gas cell that has metal atoms sealed therein, a coil that is disposed in a vicinity of the gas cell, a first magnetic shield that accommodates the gas cell and the coil therein, a second magnetic shield that accommodates a heater heating the gas cell, a first temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the gas cell, and the first magnetic shield therein, and a temperature adjustment unit and a second temperature sensor that are disposed outside the second magnetic shield.

Atomic oscillator and temperature control method of atomic oscillator

A light-emitting element module includes: a Peltier device; a light-emitting element that is disposed on the Peltier device; and a package that accommodates the Peltier device and the light-emitting element, the package including a base on which the Peltier device is disposed and a lid joined to the base and. When Ts is external temperature of the package, Tv is temperature of the light-emitting element, Tcis temperature of the base, and Tcis temperature of the lid, Ts&#x3c;Tc&#x3c;Tcis satisfied in a case of Tv&#x3c;Ts.

An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell that has metal atoms sealed therein, a heating unit that heats the gas cell, a heat transmission unit that is positioned between the gas cell and the heating unit, is thermally connected to the gas cell, and transmits heat generated by the heating unit to the gas cell, and a light absorbing unit that is thermally connected to the gas cell so as to be separated from the heat transmission unit and absorbs heat of the gas cell. The heat transmission unit includes a gas cell accommodation portion including at least a pair of gas cell accommodation walls disposed outside the gas cell, and a thermal conductive elastic member which is interposed in a gap formed by the gas cell and the gas cell accommodation walls of the heat transmission unit.

An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell into which alkali metal atoms are sealed, a light emitting portion that emits excitation light including a pair of resonance light beams for resonating the alkali metal atoms toward the alkali metal atoms, a coil that is provided to surround an outer circumference of the gas cell with an axis of the excitation light as an axial direction, and a shield case that stores at least the gas cell and the coil and contains a metal material, in which the shield case is constituted by a plurality of tabular portions, and, among the plurality of tabular portions, a main surface of one of two adjacent tabular portions faces a side surface of the other tabular portion.

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Suwa, Japan

Koji Chindo