Workshop on optically-pumped magnetometers - WOPM2025

Laser sealing for atomic devices

7 Aug 2025, 11:40

20m

WHGA/001 - Auditorium (PSI)

Oral presentation OPM Development II

Speaker

Linda Péroux (Université de Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, UMR 8520 - IEMN - Institut d'Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie , Lille, France)

Description

Microfabricated alkali vapor cells are central to the development of compact and low-power atomic devices such as atomic clocks and optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). However, conventional microfabrication techniques, particularly those relying on anodic bonding for final sealing, impose high temperatures that are incompatible with the integration of antirelaxation coatings.
In this work, we present a novel filling and sealing method for microfabricated vapor cells that leverages locally-sealed microchannels etched into the glass substrates. The heat induced by the sealing is local, and paves the way for post-fabrication deposition of temperature-sensitive antirelaxation coatings such as paraffin. It opens the perspective of significantly reducing the operating temperature of OPMs, a key factor in eliminating the need for thermal isolation, thereby allowing closer proximity to the signal source and facilitating integration into wearable and portable platforms.