Low helium permeation cells for atomic microsystems technology.

Abstract

Laser spectroscopy of atoms confined in vapor cells can be strongly affected by the presence of background gases. A significant source of vacuum contamination is the permeation of gases such as helium (He) through the walls of the cell. Aluminosilicate glass (ASG) is a material with a helium permeation rate that is many orders of magnitude lower than borosilicate glass, which is commonly used for cell fabrication. We have identified a suitable source of ASG that is fabricated in wafer form and can be anodically bonded to silicon. We have fabricated chip-scale alkali vapor cells using this glass for the windows and we have measured the helium permeation rate using the pressure shift of the hyperfine clock transition. We demonstrate micro fabricated cells with He permeation rates at least three orders of magnitude lower than that of cells made with borosilicate glass at room temperature. Such cells may be useful in compact vapor-cell atomic clocks and as a micro fabricated platform suitable for the generation of cold atom samples.