Atomic clock employing ion trap of mono- or multi-planar geometry

US5379000A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Richard Grant Brewer · Palo Alto, US
• Ralph G. Devoe · Palo Alto, US
• Kenneth L. Foster · Brighton, US
• John A. Hoffnagle · San Jose, US
• Reinald Kallenbach · Bern, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 30, 1992
• Grant date: Jan 3, 1995
• Expiry date: Oct 30, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J49/424
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An atomic clock system employs one of a family of ion trap configurations confining an ion in a potential well, such that a vibrational frequency confined ion may be measured accurately. The ion traps disclassed for use in such atomic clock systems include configurations of ring-shaped conductive members, or sheets of conductive material having circular holes therein. The trap apparatus further has a means to apply an RF field such that the resulting electric field being generated in a space defined by the conductive members has a characteristic of a substantially quadrupole field whereby a charged particle, being injected into the space, is confined in said field, maintaining a dynamic equilibrium condition.