Seiko Epson Corporation

Epson Toyocom Corporation

Naoki Ishihara

Yoshiyuki Maki

Nobuhito Hayashi

Koji Chindo

Takuya Miyakawa

Taku Aoyama

Noriaki Tanaka

Hiroyuki Yoshida

Hiroshi Nomura

Satoshi Kubo

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.

Frequency signal generation apparatus and frequency signal generation system

A quantum interference device includes: an atomic cell in which alkali metal is sealed; a light source that emits light that excites the alkali metal; a light source temperature adjuster that adjusts temperature of the light source; a light receiver that receives light transmitted through the atomic cell and outputs an output signal in accordance with a light reception intensity; a detector that outputs an output signal in accordance with a chronological change in an amount of the light transmitted through the atomic cell based on the output signal of the light receiver; and a light source temperature controller that controls driving of the light source temperature adjuster based on the output signal of the detector.

Quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, and electronic apparatus

An atomic cell is filled with an alkali metal therein and includes an inner wall which is formed from a material containing a compound having a polar group, a first coating layer which coats the inner wall and is formed from a first molecule having a nonpolar group and a functional group that undergoes an elimination reaction with the polar group, and a second coating layer which coats the first coating layer and is formed from a nonpolar second molecule, wherein the second molecule is polypropylene, polyethylene, or polymethylpentene.

Atomic cell, atomic cell manufacturing method, quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, and vehicle

An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell, a semiconductor laser, and a frequency modulation signal generation section (such as a frequency transform circuit) which generates a frequency modulation signal for causing the semiconductor laser to generate frequency-modulated light including a resonance light pair (first-order sideband light pair) that causes an electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon in metal atoms. When a modulation index of the frequency modulation signal, by which a first-order differential value of oscillation frequency deviation of the atomic oscillator becomes 0, is regarded as a first modulation index, the modulation index is within a range between a second modulation index, which is smaller than the first modulation index, with which the oscillation frequency deviation is 0 and a third modulation index, which is greater than the first modulation index, with which the oscillation frequency deviation is 0.

Atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, moving object, and manufacturing method of atomic oscillator

An atom cell is provided with an internal space including a space formed of a through hole housing gaseous alkali metal, a space formed of a through hole housing a compound as an alkali metal emission material, and a space formed of a through hole housing liquid or solid alkali metal.

Atom cell, method of manufacturing atom cell, quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, and moving object

An atomic cell includes an internal space in which alkali metals are encapsulated, a coating film formed on the wall surface of the internal space, holes that allow the internal space and the outside to communicate with each other, and coating members having surfaces that face the internal space along openings of the holes on the internal space side and formed of a coating material having a characteristic same as or similar to a characteristic of the coating film.

Atomic cell, manufacturing method for atomic cell, quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, and moving object

An atomic oscillator includes a pair of window units, a wall extending between the pair of window units and forming a first space in which alkali metal in a gas state is housed with the pair of window units, and a second space communicating with the first space and provided in a position with the wall between the first and second spaces and housing alkali metal in a liquid or solid state.

Atom cell, quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, and moving object

An atomic cell includes: alkaline metallic atoms, a body portion and window portions forming an inner space in which alkaline metallic atoms are sealed, and a getter material disposed in the inner space. The getter material is an alloy including at least one of titanium, barium, tantalum, zirconium, aluminum, vanadium, indium, and calcium, or an Al&#x2014;Zr&#x2014;V&#x2014;Fe based alloy.

Atomic cell, atomic cell manufacturing method, quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic device, and moving object

An atomic cell includes: metallic atoms; a body portion having a through hole; window portions that are bonded to the body portion and form an inner space where the metallic atoms are sealed together with the body portion; a communication hole that communicates with the inner space and forms a groove and a hole; and a sealing portion that is disposed at a position that overlaps a bonding portion of the body portion and one window portion in a plan view seen in a direction where the body portion and the window portions are overlapped and blocks the communication hole by fusion.

An atomic oscillator that controls an oscillation frequency by using an optical absorption property derived from a quantum interference effect occurring when two kinds of resonance light are made incident as coherent light having different wavelengths from each other, includes an optical system that includes: a gas cell sealing metal atoms in a gas state therein; a coherent light source for supplying the resonance light to the metal atoms being in the gas cell; and a light detector for detecting light transmitted through the gas cell. In the atomic oscillator, a first refraction unit is formed at a light incident side, on which coherent light is made incident, of the gas cell.

Growing community of inventors

Chino, Japan

Naoki Ishihara