An atomic beam generator includes a cathode constituted as a housing having an emission surface provided with an irradiation port through which an atomic beam is emissive; an anode disposed inside the cathode to generate plasma between the cathode and the anode; and a magnetic field generating unit including a first magnetic field generating unit that generates a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field generating unit that generates a second magnetic field, and guiding positive ions produced in the cathode to the emission surface by generating, in the cathode, the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field both parallel to the emission surface such that a magnetic field direction is leftward in the first magnetic field and is rightward in the second magnetic field when viewed from an emission surface side on condition of the first magnetic field being positioned above the second magnetic field.

An atomic beam generator includes a cathode constituted as a housing having an emission surface provided with an irradiation port through which an atomic beam is emissive; an anode disposed inside the cathode to generate plasma between the cathode and the anode; and a magnetic field generating unit including a first magnetic field generating unit that generates a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field generating unit that generates a second magnetic field, and guiding positive ions produced in the cathode to the emission surface by generating, in the cathode, the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field both parallel to the emission surface such that a magnetic field direction is leftward in the first magnetic field and is rightward in the second magnetic field when viewed from an emission surface side on condition of the first magnetic field being positioned above the second magnetic field.

A matter-wave gyro with counter-propagating traps uses three-dimensional lattices formed of interference fringes from three pairs of interfering laser beams. Particles, such as neutral atoms, ion, or molecules are cooled to a ground state near absolute zero. The resulting ultra-cold particles are loaded into the lattices. The laser beams used to form the lattices are driven according to functions that cause the lattices to counter-propagate about a closed path (Sagnac loop) N times, where a desired tradeoff between spatial resolution and temporal resolution can be achieved by choosing an appropriate integer value of N. The lattices can be extinguished so that the particles can be imaged to identify an interference pattern. A shift in the interference pattern relative to an interference pattern that would occur with zero angular momentum can be used to measure angular momentum.

A uniaxial counter-propagating monolaser atom trap cools and traps atoms with a single a laser beam and includes: an atom slower that slows atoms to form slowed atoms; an optical diffractor including: a first diffraction grating that receives primary light and produces first reflected light; a second diffraction grating that receives primary light and produces second reflected light; and a third diffraction grating that receives the primary light and produces third reflected light; and a trapping region that forms trap light from the reflected lights and receives slowed atoms to produce trapped atoms from the slowed atoms that interact with the trap light.

A uniaxial counter-propagating monolaser atom trap cools and traps atoms with a single a laser beam and includes: an atom slower that slows atoms to form slowed atoms; an optical diffractor including: a first diffraction grating that receives primary light and produces first reflected light; a second diffraction grating that receives primary light and produces second reflected light; and a third diffraction grating that receives the primary light and produces third reflected light; and a trapping region that forms trap light from the reflected lights and receives slowed atoms to produce trapped atoms from the slowed atoms that interact with the trap light.

A conical mirror concentrator is disclosed which is configured for use as a laser-cooled cooled atom source. According to embodiments, the conical mirror concentrator may comprise a body; a reflective inner conical surface formed on the body tapering from a large diameter at a first side of body inward to a smaller dimeter in an interior space of the body, wherein the inner conical surface focuses light to an axis within the interior space of the body; a hole extending from the interior space of the body near a pinnacle of the inner conical surface to a second, opposite side of body; and a structure configured to mount the concentrator to an ultra-high vacuum chamber, such as a CF (or Conflat) flange or an anodicly bonded glass plate.

A conical mirror concentrator is disclosed which is configured for use as a laser-cooled cooled atom source. According to embodiments, the conical mirror concentrator may comprise a body; a reflective inner conical surface formed on the body tapering from a large diameter at a first side of body inward to a smaller dimeter in an interior space of the body, wherein the inner conical surface focuses light to an axis within the interior space of the body; a hole extending from the interior space of the body near a pinnacle of the inner conical surface to a second, opposite side of body; and a structure configured to mount the concentrator to an ultra-high vacuum chamber, such as a CF (or Conflat) flange or an anodicly bonded glass plate.

The present invention comprises a device designed to fly in planetary atmospheres via the photophoretic force. The photophoretic force may result from the phenomena of ΔT photophoresis, Δα photophoresis, and/or thermal creep flow. Certain embodiments of the structure may control flight by changing the direction of the net photophoretic force through structural elements that impart magnetic, electric, or gravitational torques on the entire structure. Payloads with many conceivable uses may be integrated into this invention. Examples of use include but are not limited to wireless data communications, optical devices, microelectronics, and remote sensing technologies.

The present invention comprises a device designed to fly in planetary atmospheres via the photophoretic force. The photophoretic force may result from the phenomena of ΔT photophoresis, Δα photophoresis, and/or thermal creep flow. Certain embodiments of the structure may control flight by changing the direction of the net photophoretic force through structural elements that impart magnetic, electric, or gravitational torques on the entire structure. Payloads with many conceivable uses may be integrated into this invention. Examples of use include but are not limited to wireless data communications, optical devices, microelectronics, and remote sensing technologies.

Provided is a cold atomic beam generation technology that causes a cold atomic beam to travel in a direction different from the traveling direction of a pushing laser beam. The pushing laser beam is used to generate a cold atomic beam from atoms trapped in a space. Next, the cold atomic beam is deflected by using a zero magnetic field line of a quadrupole magnetic field in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism or by using a drift direction of a standing light wave in a moving molasses mechanism.