The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 28, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 28, 2009
Peter Schwindt, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Grant Biedermann, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Matthew G. Blain, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Daniel L. Stick, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Darwin K. Serkland, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Roy H. Olsson, Iii, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Peter Schwindt, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Grant Biedermann, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Matthew G. Blain, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Daniel L. Stick, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Darwin K. Serkland, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Roy H. Olsson, III, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Sandia Corporation, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
A microfabricated ion frequency standard (i.e. an ion clock) is disclosed with a permanently-sealed vacuum package containing a source of ytterbium (Yb) ions and an octupole ion trap. The source of Yb ions is a micro-hotplate which generates Yb atoms which are then ionized by a ultraviolet light-emitting diode or a field-emission electron source. The octupole ion trap, which confines the Yb ions, is formed from suspended electrodes on a number of stacked-up substrates. A microwave source excites a ground-state transition frequency of the Yb ions, with a frequency-doubled vertical-external-cavity laser (VECSEL) then exciting the Yb ions up to an excited state to produce fluorescent light which is used to tune the microwave source to the ground-state transition frequency, with the microwave source providing a precise frequency output for the ion clock.