Miniature atomic scalar magnetometer for space based on the rubidium isotope ⁸⁷Rb

Area of Science:

• Atomic physics
• Space instrumentation
• Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)

Background:

• Space exploration requires sensitive, miniaturized magnetic field sensors.
• Existing magnetometers often face limitations in size, power consumption, or sensitivity for space applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a miniature atomic scalar magnetometer for space deployment.
• To achieve high sensitivity and low power consumption in a compact form factor.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a rubidium-87 (⁸⁷Rb) atomic vapor cell fabricated using MEMS technology.
• Integrated the vapor cell with a custom silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip.
• Implemented M and M mode operation with integrated Helmholtz coils and low-power resistive heating on the SOS-CMOS chip.

Main Results:

• Developed a prototype magnetometer with a volume of 1 mm³ for the vapor cell.
• Achieved a total instrument mass under 500 g and power consumption below 1 W.
• Demonstrated a magnetic field sensitivity of 15 pT/√Hz at 1 Hz, comparable to state-of-the-art absolute magnetometers.

Conclusions:

• The developed miniature atomic magnetometer is suitable for space applications due to its small size, low power, and high sensitivity.
• The novel integration of MEMS vapor cells and SOS-CMOS technology enables advanced space-based magnetic field measurements.