A non-resonance photo-neutralizer for negative ion-based neutral beam injectors. The non-resonance photo-neutralizer utilizes a nonresonant photon accumulation, wherein the path of a photon becomes tangled and trapped in a certain space region, i.e., the photon trap. The trap is preferably formed by two smooth mirror surfaces facing each other with at least one of the mirrors being concave. In its simplest form, the trap is elliptical. A confinement region is a region near a family of normals, which are common to both mirror surfaces. The photons with a sufficiently small angle of deviation from the nearest common normal are confined. Depending on specific conditions, the shape of the mirror surface may be one of spherical, elliptical, cylindrical, or toroidal geometry, or a combination thereof.

The disclosure describes various aspects of a shed-resistant thermal atom source. More specifically, a thermal atom source is described for uniform thermal flux of target atomic species in which a metal wadding material is used as an intermediary surface for sublimation of the atoms, preventing the source material from shedding or dropping. In an aspect, a thermal atom source may include a container with closed and open ends, and inside a source material near the closed end and a wadding between the source material and the open end; a heater coupled to the closed end; one or more clamps configured to secure the container and the heater; and a current source coupled to the container and the heater to cause a temperature to increase such that a portion of the source material is released and diffuses to the open end through the wadding prior to being emitted as a flux.

The disclosure describes various aspects of a shed-resistant thermal atom source. More specifically, a thermal atom source is described for uniform thermal flux of target atomic species in which a metal wadding material is used as an intermediary surface for sublimation of the atoms, preventing the source material from shedding or dropping. In an aspect, a thermal atom source may include a container with closed and open ends, and inside a source material near the closed end and a wadding between the source material and the open end; a heater coupled to the closed end; one or more clamps configured to secure the container and the heater; and a current source coupled to the container and the heater to cause a temperature to increase such that a portion of the source material is released and diffuses to the open end through the wadding prior to being emitted as a flux.

A method of generating at least one trapped atom of a specific species, the method comprising the steps of: positioning a sample material (18) comprising a specific species in a vacuum (14); generate an atomic vapor (20) of the specific species by irradiating the sample material with a first laser (12); trapping one or more atoms from the generated atomic vapor.

A method of generating at least one trapped atom of a specific species, the method comprising the steps of: positioning a sample material (18) comprising a specific species in a vacuum (14); generate an atomic vapor (20) of the specific species by irradiating the sample material with a first laser (12); trapping one or more atoms from the generated atomic vapor.

A laser system for atomic clocks and sensors includes a single laser, an intensity splitter, a modulator, and a feedback-based lock controller. The single laser outputs a central optical frequency of laser light that can be tuned. The intensity splitter splits the laser light along a first and a second optical path. A modulator is disposed in the first optical path. The portion of laser light from the first optical path is subjected to the modulator with the modulator disposed to generate a frequency-shifted sideband from some or all of the portion of the laser light subjected to the modulator, with the frequency-shifted sideband shifted by an adjustable frequency source, resulting in an adjustable frequency offset between the frequency-shifted sideband and an unmodulated carrier propagating in the second optical path. The feedback-based lock controller locks the optical frequency of the frequency-shifted sideband to a repumping transition for atom cooling.

A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D GMOT) configured to trap a cold-atom cloud is disclosed. The 3D GMOT includes a single input light beam having its direction along a first axis, an area along a second and third axis that are both normal to the first axis, and a substantially flat input light beam intensity profile extending across its area. The 3D GMOT may also include a circular, diffraction-grating surface positioned normal to the first axis and having closely adjacent grooves arranged concentrically around a gap formed in its center. The circular, diffraction-grating surface is configured to diffract first-order light beams that intersect within an intersection region that lies directly above the gap and suppresses reflections and diffractions of all other orders. The 3D GMOT may further include a quadrupole magnetic field with its magnitude being zero within the intersection region.

A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D GMOT) configured to trap a cold-atom cloud is disclosed. The 3D GMOT includes a single input light beam having its direction along a first axis, an area along a second and third axis that are both normal to the first axis, and a substantially flat input light beam intensity profile extending across its area. The 3D GMOT may also include a circular, diffraction-grating surface positioned normal to the first axis and having closely adjacent grooves arranged concentrically around a gap formed in its center. The circular, diffraction-grating surface is configured to diffract first-order light beams that intersect within an intersection region that lies directly above the gap and suppresses reflections and diffractions of all other orders. The 3D GMOT may further include a quadrupole magnetic field with its magnitude being zero within the intersection region.

A bi-directional device for generating or absorbing atoms or ions. In some embodiments, the device comprises a solid-phase ion-conducting material, a first electrode positioned on a first surface of the solid-phase ion-conducting material, and a second electrode positioned on a second surface of the solid-phase ion-conducting material. The first electrode includes a plurality of triple phase boundaries, each located at an interface between the solid-phase ion-conducting material and the first electrode. A density of the triple phase boundaries is in the range of about 10.sup.4 m/m.sup.2 to about 210.sup.7 m/m.sup.2 on the first surface of the ion-conducting material. A method of operating the bi-directional device and a method of fabricating a bi-directional device are also provided.

A bi-directional device for generating or absorbing atoms or ions. In some embodiments, the device comprises a solid-phase ion-conducting material, a first electrode positioned on a first surface of the solid-phase ion-conducting material, and a second electrode positioned on a second surface of the solid-phase ion-conducting material. The first electrode includes a plurality of triple phase boundaries, each located at an interface between the solid-phase ion-conducting material and the first electrode. A density of the triple phase boundaries is in the range of about 10.sup.4 m/m.sup.2 to about 210.sup.7 m/m.sup.2 on the first surface of the ion-conducting material. A method of operating the bi-directional device and a method of fabricating a bi-directional device are also provided.