A method for inspecting an article containing a target material is provided. A sampling position of the article is illuminated by a beam of laser light having a wavelength . Illumination focus to a focal point at the sampling position of the article to produce molecular excitation of the target material by simultaneous absorption of n incident photons of the beam of laser light, wherein n is equal to or greater than two. An output light exited from the article is analyzed by a detector, wherein the output light is of a wavelength range between 0.8 and 1.2.

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.

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.

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.

One example includes a vapor cell. The cell includes a transparent enclosure and alkali metal atoms enclosed within the transparent enclosure. The alkali metal atoms can be configured to be stimulated from a first energy state to a second energy state in response to an optical beam provided through the vapor cell and to emit fluorescent light in response to energy of the alkali metal atoms decaying from the second energy state to the first energy state. The cell further includes a reflective coating that is provided on an exterior surface of the transparent enclosure to surround the vapor cell to provide a reflective interior surface with respect to the transparent enclosure of the vapor cell to reflect the fluorescent light. The reflective coating can include a detection window configured to facilitate escape of the fluorescent light from the vapor cell for optical detection.

A controller of an atomic system controls operation of potential sources to cause potential generating signals to be provided. Application of the potential generating signals to respective potential generating elements causes performance of a split operation causing confinement of a first subset of atomic objects of an object crystal in a first potential well and a second subset of atomic objects of the object crystal in a second potential well. The first subset consists of one or more atomic objects. The object crystal includes atomic objects of at least two species. The controller controls operation of manipulation sources to cause manipulation signals to be incident on the first subset. The controller receives a sensor signal generated by a photodetector configured to capture fluorescence signals generated by the first subset. The controller processes the sensor signal to determine a respective species of at least one atomic object of the first subset.

The present invention is directed to devices and systems for rapidly producing high resolution images of magnetic fields in a sample. The devices and systems employ diamond chips with color centers that fluoresce in the presence of magnetic fields. The high resolution is due to the use of one of three excitation methods. The first method employs modulation of an acoustic surface wave, which increases/decreases the sensitivity of the color centers to magnetic fields. The second and third methods employ arrays of magnetic field coils and electrode pairs, respectively, which again increase/decrease the sensitivity of the color centers to magnetic fields. The color centers are preferably nitrogen vacancies in the diamond chips.

A spectroscopy system is described. The spectroscopy system includes a cell, a photodiode, and mirrors. The cell has walls forming a chamber therein. The chamber is configured to receive laser signal(s) and retaining a vapor therein. The vapor fluoresces in response to the laser signal(s). The mirrors are configured to direct fluorescent light from the vapor toward the photodiode. In some embodiments, the spectroscopy system is incorporated with a photonic integrated circuit.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for valuing and or authenticating property. An example system includes a sensor system and a computer system. The sensor system includes one or quantum sensors, and is configured to generate first sensor data representing one or more molecular properties of a first object at a first time. The computer system is configured, at least, to: receive the first sensor data from the sensor system; obtain model data representing one or more molecular properties of a model object; generate, based on the first sensor data and the model data, a comparison between the one or more molecular properties of the first object at the first time and the one or more molecular properties of the model object; and determine an authenticity of the first object based on the comparison.