Photonic MEMS Vacuum Trap For Cold Atoms

This project aims to develop completely new ways to trap atoms using integrated photonics

so the project is looking to pioneer completely new science and technology approaches to

cold atoms.

Integrating diode laser with photonic cavities and MEMS vacuum chambers will allow the

trapping and control of atoms by light. The work is supported by the UK Quantum

Technology Programme and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Trapping atoms with light enables atoms to be cooled to below microKelvin temperatures

resulting in the most accurate set of sensors that can be used for timing, measuring

acceleration, rotation or gravity. Trapped atoms can also form qubits and are also being

used to build quantum computers. Such sensors presently require large vacuum chambers

with high power lasers to trap atoms with hundreds of Watts of power for operation. This

project aims to miniaturize these atom traps using the diode lasers similar to CD/DVD

players combined with optical cavities integrated with atoms in MEMS vacuum systems

aiming to reduce the size, weight and power to allow these sensors to reduce to the size of a

mobile phone and to be powered by batteries.