A method for the spectral analysis of samples in a graphite tube, comprising the steps of: inserting a liquid sample into a graphite tube; drying the sample by heating the graphite tube; transferring the sample into a particle cloud by further heating up the graphite tube; and measuring one of the optical signals influenced or generated by the sample with a detector; wherein image sequences of the interior of the graphite tube are recorded with a two-dimensional camera having a plurality of image elements over selected periods of time during the spectral analysis; is characterized in that the images of the image sequences are automatically processed with image processing methods, wherein a reference image of the interior of the graphite tube is determined; and the condition of the graphite tube, of the sample and/or of a dosing means for inserting the sample into the graphite tube is determined by comparison of the images of the image sequences to the reference image.

A multi-cell apparatus and method for single ion addressing are described herein. One apparatus includes a first cell configured to set a frequency, intensity, and a polarization of a laser and shutter the laser, a second cell configured to align the shuttered laser to an ion in an ion trap such that the ion fluoresces light and/or performs a quantum operation, and a third cell configured to detect the light fluoresced from the ion.

Apparatuses and systems for a die-integrated aspheric mirror are described herein. One apparatus includes an ion trap die including a number of ion locations and an aspheric mirror integrated with the ion trap die.

A gas analyzer may include: a gas chamber configured to receive a gas to be analyzed therein, a radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation into the gas chamber, the electromagnetic radiation being adapted to selectively excite gas molecules of a specific type that is to be detected in the gas received in the gas chamber, a collimator configured to collimate the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the radiation source, and a sensor configured to detect a physical quantity indicative of a degree of interaction between the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the radiation source and the gas to be analyzed.

In one embodiment, a chip scale atomic sensor is provided. The chip scale atomic sensor includes a body that defines at least one sensing chamber. The body includes a thermal isolation die mounted to the body. The thermal isolation die is disposed in a location that communicates with the at least one sensing chamber. The thermal isolation die includes a substrate defining a frame portion and an isolated portion and a plurality of tethers mechanically coupling the isolated portion of the substrate to the frame portion. The thermal isolation die also includes an atomic source mounted on the isolated portion of the substrate, and a heating element mounted on the isolated portion and configured to heat the atomic source.

Optical spectroscopy system and method possessing spectral selectivity sufficient to distinguish isotopic line of the metal of interest. Each of the light beams, counter-propagating through vial with vapor of the sample, has been originated from the same light output of the laser source and modulated at a corresponding judiciously-determined frequency. The light-output, in turn, possesses a carrier frequency and two side-band frequencies defined with respect to a mean value of excitation frequencies of isotopes in the vapor.

An atomic interferometer and methods for measuring phase shifts in interference fringes using the same. The atomic interferometer has a laser beam traversing an ensemble of atoms along a first path and an optical components train with at least one alignment-insensitive beam routing element configured to reflect the laser beam along a second path that is anti-parallel with respect to the first laser beam path. Any excursion from parallelism of the second beam path with respect to the first is rigorously independent of variation of the first laser beam path in yaw parallel to an underlying plane.

A detector apparatus is provided and includes a collector having access to a sample of a gaseous fluid and a tester coupled to and disposed remotely from the collector. The tester includes a test chamber into which a sample is directed from the collector, an excitation element to excite the sample in the test chamber and a spectrum analyzing device coupled to the test chamber to analyze the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration. The threshold concentration is defined in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample.

A method for measuring a magnetic field includes radiating a microwave field having a first frequency into at least one measuring location in a crystal, which comprises optically excitable color center defects at the measuring location, radiating excitation light and detecting resulting fluorescence light, applying a deformation force which results in local mechanical strain, wherein an applied first deformation force is selected such that the first frequency corresponds to a resonance frequency of the color center defects under the action of the first deformation force without the magnetic field to be measured and the detected fluorescence light becomes minimal. The method further includes placing the sensor into the magnetic field to be measured to bring about a shift in the resonance frequency and varying the applied deformation force to compensate the shift in the resonance frequency until a minimum fluorescence signal is again acquired at a second deformation force.

A system and method for detecting and quantifying the concentration of rare earth elements in a fluid contacting a sensor, the method having the steps of: providing the sensor to an environment such that the sensor is in contact with the fluid, wherein the sensor features a fiber extending between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein the sensor further features a coating on the second end of the fiber, and wherein the coating is a metal-organic framework material including, but not limited to zinc adeninate, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate, 4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate, and combinations thereof; interrogating the sensor with light; collecting a luminescent signal; and detecting the rare earth elements in the fluid contacting the sensor using the luminescent signal.