IP Library Granted Patent US 9,444,477
Granted Patent B2
US 9,444,477 · App. 14/573,467 · Granted Sep 13, 2016

Quantum interference device, atomic oscillator, electronic apparatus, and moving object

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,444,477
App. No.
14/573,467
Granted
Sep 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell into which alkali metal atoms are sealed, a light emitting portion that emits excitation light including a pair of resonance light beams for resonating the alkali metal atoms toward the alkali metal atoms, a coil that is provided to surround an outer circumference of the gas cell with an axis of the excitation light as an axial direction, and a shield case that stores at least the gas cell and the coil and contains a metal material, in which the shield case is constituted by a plurality of tabular portions, and, among the plurality of tabular portions, a main surface of one of two adjacent tabular portions faces a side surface of the other tabular portion.

Claims (50)

1. A quantum interference device comprising:

a gas cell into which metal atoms are sealed;

a light emitting portion that emits light including a pair of resonance light beams for resonating the metal atoms toward the metal atoms;

a coil that is provided to surround an outer circumference of the gas cell; and

a shield case that stores the gas cell and the coil and contains a metal material,

wherein the shield case is constituted by a plurality of tabular portions,

in the plurality of tabular portions, at least bottom and first through fourth side surfaces of the shield case are continuously formed as a single contiguous unit, a first bottom length of each of first and second sides of the bottom surface respectively connecting to the first and second side surfaces is shorter than a first side length of each side of the first and second side surfaces respectively connecting to the first and second sides of the bottom surface,

in the single contiguous unit, a second bottom length of each of third and fourth sides of the bottom surface respectively connecting to the third and fourth side surfaces is longer than a second side length of each side of the third and fourth side surfaces respectively connecting to the third and fourth side of the bottom surface, and

other two sides configuring the second side length of each of the third and fourth side surfaces respectively face edges of each main surface of the first and second side surfaces.

2. The quantum interference device according to claim 1 , wherein the main surface intersects an axial direction of the coil.

3. The quantum interference device according to claim 1 , wherein the metal material includes a soft magnetic material.

4. The quantum interference device according to claim 3 , wherein the soft magnetic material is permalloy.

5. An atomic oscillator comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 1 .

6. An electronic apparatus comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 1 .

7. A moving object comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 1 .

8. A quantum interference device comprising:

a gas cell into which metal atoms are sealed;

a light emitting portion that emits light including a pair of resonance light beams for resonating the metal atoms toward the metal atoms;

a coil that is provided to surround an outer circumference of the gas cell; and

a shield case that stores the gas cell and the coil, the shield case being made of a metal material, the shield case having top, bottom, and first through fourth side surfaces, wherein

the shield case is constituted by a plurality of tabular portions, each of the plurality of tabular portions has front and back tabular main surfaces and first through fourth tabular side surfaces,

in the plurality of tabular portions, at least the bottom and the first through fourth side surfaces of the shield case are continuously formed as a single contiguous unit, and

among the plurality of tabular portions, the front tabular main surface of one of two adjacent tabular portions directly faces an entire of one of the first through fourth tabular side surfaces of the other tabular portion.

9. The quantum interference device according to claim 8 , wherein

the front tabular main surface of the one of the two adjacent tabular portions intersects an axial direction of the coil.

10. The quantum interference device according to claim 8 , wherein

the metal material includes a soft magnetic material.

11. The quantum interference device according to claim 10 , wherein

the soft magnetic material is permalloy.

12. An atomic oscillator comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 8 .

13. An electronic apparatus comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 8 .

14. A moving object comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 8 .

15. A quantum interference device comprising:

a gas cell into which metal atoms are sealed;

a light emitting portion that emits light including a pair of resonance light beams for resonating the metal atoms toward the metal atoms;

a coil that is provided to surround an outer circumference of the gas cell; and

a shield case that stores the gas cell and the coil, the shield case being made of a metal material, the shield case having top, bottom, and first through fourth side surfaces, wherein

the shield case is constituted by a plurality of tabular portions, each of the plurality of tabular portions has front and back tabular main surfaces and first through fourth tabular side surfaces,

in the plurality of tabular portions, at least the bottom and the first through fourth side surfaces of the shield case are continuously formed as a single contiguous unit,

among the plurality of tabular portions, the front tabular main surface of one of two adjacent tabular portions directly faces an entire of one of the first through fourth tabular side surfaces of the other tabular portion, and

the front tabular main surface of the one of the two adjacent tabular portions intersects an axial direction of the light.

16. The quantum interference device according to claim 15 , wherein

the front tabular main surface of the one of the two adjacent tabular portions intersects an axial direction of the coil.

17. The quantum interference device according to claim 15 , wherein

the metal material includes a soft magnetic material.

18. The quantum interference device according to claim 17 , wherein

the soft magnetic material is permalloy.

19. An atomic oscillator comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 15 .

20. An electronic apparatus comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 15 .

21. A moving object comprising the quantum interference device according to claim 15 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 061301/0770 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2014
From: CHINDO, KOJI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034529/0478 →