Miniature atomic scalar magnetometer for space based on the rubidium isotope 87Rb.

ABSTRACT: A miniature atomic scalar magnetometer based on the rubidium isotope 87Rb was developed for operation in space. The instrument design implements both Mx and Mz mode operation and leverages a novel microelectromechanical system (MEMS) fabricated vapor cell and a custom silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit. The vapor cell has a volume of only 1?mm3 so that it can be efficiently heated to its operating temperature by a specially designed, low-magnetic-field-generating resistive heater implemented in multiple metal layers of the transparent sapphire substrate of the SOS-CMOS chips. The SOS-CMOS chip also hosts the Helmholtz coil and associated circuitry to stimulate the magnetically sensitive atomic resonance and temperature sensors. The prototype instrument has a total mass of fewer than 500?g and uses less than 1?W of power, while maintaining a sensitivity of 15?pT/?Hz at 1?Hz, comparable to present state-of-the-art absolute magnetometers.

SUBMITTER: Korth H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5054816 | biostudies-other | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other