Direct determination of atomic number density in MEMS vapor cells via single-pass absorption spectroscopy (SPAS)

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Auteurs principaux: Achar, Sumit, Sinha, Shivam, M, Ezhilarasan, R, Chandankumar, Sharma, Arijit
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Achar, Sumit
Sinha, Shivam
M, Ezhilarasan
R, Chandankumar
Sharma, Arijit
author_facet Achar, Sumit
Sinha, Shivam
M, Ezhilarasan
R, Chandankumar
Sharma, Arijit
contents Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based chip-scale alkali vapor cells are the essential components in emerging quantum technologies, including compact atomic clocks, chip-scale magnetometers, and miniature quantum opto-electronic systems. The sensitivity of MEMS-based atomic quantum technology devices depends on the atomic number density. Thus, it is important to have an accurate estimate of the atomic number density in chip-scale alkali vapor cells to optimize light-matter interactions and design efficient quantum sensing systems. Here, we present a direct and quantitatively validated method for determining the rubidium (Rb) number density in warm alkali vapor using single-pass absorption spectroscopy (SPAS). The absolute transmission spectra are measured and modeled using the 780.24~nm as well as the 420.29~nm transition in a Rb-filled MEMS vapor cell. The atomic number density measurements and the model were also validated using a commercial vapor cell of length 100~mm. The theoretical model employs a density-matrix formalism within the Lindblad framework and incorporates directly measurable experimental parameters, such as laser beam power, diameter, and cell temperature. The model explicitly accounts for optical pumping, Doppler broadening, and transit-time broadening effects and exhibits quantitative agreement ($> 99\%$) with experimental spectra over a broad range of temperatures (293--343~K), laser intensities ($\sim0.2\, I_{\mathrm{sat}}$ to $\sim2\, I_{\mathrm{sat}}$), and cell lengths (2--100~mm). The extracted densities from the MEMS cell closely follow the empirical vapor-pressure model by Alcock et al. The demonstrated methodology provides a practical, well-controlled method for determining the atomic number density in alkali vapor cells relevant to the characterization and development of compact alkali-vapor-based devices for quantum sensing and metrology.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_00526
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Direct determination of atomic number density in MEMS vapor cells via single-pass absorption spectroscopy (SPAS)
Achar, Sumit
Sinha, Shivam
M, Ezhilarasan
R, Chandankumar
Sharma, Arijit
Atomic Physics
Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based chip-scale alkali vapor cells are the essential components in emerging quantum technologies, including compact atomic clocks, chip-scale magnetometers, and miniature quantum opto-electronic systems. The sensitivity of MEMS-based atomic quantum technology devices depends on the atomic number density. Thus, it is important to have an accurate estimate of the atomic number density in chip-scale alkali vapor cells to optimize light-matter interactions and design efficient quantum sensing systems. Here, we present a direct and quantitatively validated method for determining the rubidium (Rb) number density in warm alkali vapor using single-pass absorption spectroscopy (SPAS). The absolute transmission spectra are measured and modeled using the 780.24~nm as well as the 420.29~nm transition in a Rb-filled MEMS vapor cell. The atomic number density measurements and the model were also validated using a commercial vapor cell of length 100~mm. The theoretical model employs a density-matrix formalism within the Lindblad framework and incorporates directly measurable experimental parameters, such as laser beam power, diameter, and cell temperature. The model explicitly accounts for optical pumping, Doppler broadening, and transit-time broadening effects and exhibits quantitative agreement ($> 99\%$) with experimental spectra over a broad range of temperatures (293--343~K), laser intensities ($\sim0.2\, I_{\mathrm{sat}}$ to $\sim2\, I_{\mathrm{sat}}$), and cell lengths (2--100~mm). The extracted densities from the MEMS cell closely follow the empirical vapor-pressure model by Alcock et al. The demonstrated methodology provides a practical, well-controlled method for determining the atomic number density in alkali vapor cells relevant to the characterization and development of compact alkali-vapor-based devices for quantum sensing and metrology.
title Direct determination of atomic number density in MEMS vapor cells via single-pass absorption spectroscopy (SPAS)
topic Atomic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.00526