LTCC integrated miniature Rb discharge lamp module for stable optical pumping in miniature atomic clocks and magnetometers

We report here on an integrated mini-lamp module (15×26×4 mm³) with a microfabricated rf-powered Rb dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) lamp (10×10×3 mm³) positioned on top of a 0.6 mm thick (thickness adjustable) 4-layer LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) stacked platform containing a serpentine heating resistor design with high heating capacity (up to several hundred degree Celsius) for lamp heating, a fast response DP 5092D PTC temperature sensor for temperature stabilization using PID feedback and a patterned pad layout for the drive circuit components and interconnects. This is the first report of an LTCC integrated Rb mini-lamp module. The novelties of this design include: (1) compact module and independent heating design with thermal isolation of the drive components, (2) very low capacitive interference of the heating elements on the lamp electrodes leading to lower power coupling losses and higher optical power stability during pumping operation, and (3) the components can be batch-fabricated and the module can be independently used for optical pumping in other applications including magnetometers and gyroscopes.