薄膜技术在原子频标中的应用

Application of Thin Film Technology in Atomic Frequency Standards

原子频标是典型的量子电子学产物,它可以输出稳定的频率信号,在导航、守时、授时以及通信等国计民生的各个方面都有重要的作用。原子频标制造过程中采用薄膜技术可以有效地提高原子频标的性能和使用寿命。本文首先阐述了传统铷、铯、氢原子频标中薄膜技术的应用,即薄膜技术在铷原子频标中用于光谱灯优化和光频移抑制,以改善铷原子频标的稳定度和漂移;在铯原子频标中用于电子倍增器研制及其新工艺和新方法的研究,用以提高铯束管的寿命和信噪比;在氢原子频标中用于氢原子存储,降低氢原子与泡壁的碰撞概率,延长氢原子弛豫时间,提升信噪比。其次,对汞离子频标、微型CPT原子频标等新型原子频标中薄膜技术的应用和发展进行了梳理和总结,并对下一代星载原子频标中薄膜技术的重要作用和发展进行了展望。

Atomic frequency standard is a typical device of quantum electronics,it was used to output stable frequency signal as time benchmark of the electronic system,it played an important role in navigation,time keeping,time service and communication.If the thin film technology was applied to the development of the atomic frequency standard,the performance and the service life of the atomic frequency standards would be improved.Firstly,we described the application of the thin film technology in the rubidium atomic frequency standard,cesium atomic frequency standard and hydrogen atomic frequency standard.For example,the thin film technology was used for optimization performance of the spectral lamp and suppression for light shift in the rubidium atomic frequency standard,these could improve the performance of the rubidium atomic frequency standard.The thin film technology was used for development of the electron multiplier and the lifetime extension of the cesium beam tubes.The thin film technology was used for extending the relaxation time of the hydrogen atom,these could improve the performance of the hydrogen atomic frequency standard.Secondly,we summarized the application of the thin film technology in the mercury ion frequency standard and miniature CPT atomic frequency standard,and we looked forward to the important role and development of the thin film technology in the next generation of space borne atomic frequency standards.