JPH037150B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an atomic oscillator that controls the frequency of a crystal oscillator based on the resonance frequency of gas atoms or molecules, and in particular improves the lighting mechanism of a light source for optical pumping. It concerns an atomic oscillator.

Atomic oscillators, which control the oscillation frequency of a crystal oscillator based on a specific resonance frequency of atoms or molecules, are important as high-precision frequency sources because they have excellent long-term frequency stability. The present invention aims to improve the lighting mechanism of such an optical pumping light source for an atomic oscillator, thereby improving the manufacturing yield and increasing the reliability and performance of the atomic oscillator.

[Conventional technology]

As a light source lamp for optical pumping of an atomic oscillator, a lamp cell containing atoms and gas is used at several tens of MHz.
Generally used is one that is excited by a high frequency exciter of several hundred MHz to several hundred MHz to emit high frequency light. In this case, the lamp can be lit by applying a high-voltage pulse of several thousand volts to the lamp cell as a start pulse to force it to start discharging, or by applying a large excitation power sufficient to start the discharge. Many methods of excitation are used.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a lamp lighting system in a conventional atomic oscillator. In the same figure,
A lamp exciter 1 supplies high frequency power to an excitation coil 3 provided around the lamp cell 2, thereby applying a high frequency magnetic field around the lamp cell 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes a lamp reflecting mirror, which serves to focus the light generated by the lamp cell 2 in one direction. 5 is a start pulse generator,
A start pulse is supplied to a start electrode 6 provided in the lamp cell 2. The start pulse consists of a high voltage pulse of several thousand volts and induces a discharge between the start electrode and the lamp reflector 4. This discharge acts as a stimulus, and high frequency discharge is started in the lamp cell 2, causing it to emit light.

In an atomic oscillator, as the excitation power in the light source lamp for optical pumping increases, the long-term stability or temperature characteristics of the atomic oscillator generally deteriorates, and the life of the lamp becomes shorter, so it is desirable that the excitation power be as small as possible. Therefore, the method shown in Figure 2, which applies a high-voltage pulse only when lighting, has the disadvantage of requiring a start pulse generator, but it can excite the lamp with a relatively small excitation power, resulting in a long lamp life. It is excellent in achieving high performance and high reliability.

However, when lighting a lamp using a start pulse, the method of directly applying a high-voltage pulse to the start electrode as shown in Figure 2 has the problem that lighting may become uncertain due to variations in lamp cell manufacturing. There is.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The present invention provides an atomic oscillator that uses a start pulse to start high-frequency discharge in a light source lamp for optical pumping, which can reduce variations in lighting characteristics due to manufacturing variations in the lamp cells. The aim is to improve the manufacturing yield of the light source lamp and to improve the lighting characteristics of the light source lamp.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention focuses on the phenomenon that the more the voltage ripples, the more easily the discharge occurs, and in an atomic oscillator equipped with a start pulse generator for lighting a light source lamp, the above-mentioned A discharge gap is provided to create high-voltage pulses that ripple.

[Effect]

In the atomic oscillator of the present invention, since a discharge gap is provided between the line connecting the output of the start pulse generator and the start electrode of the lamp cell, the discharge state of the start electrode section can be controlled by changing the length of this discharge gap. Therefore, since it is possible to form a discharge state according to the internal impedance of the lamp, the lighting performance of the lamp becomes more reliable.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of an atomic oscillator according to the present invention. In this figure, the same parts as in FIG. 2 are designated by the same numbers, and 7 is a discharge gap.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the atomic oscillator of the present invention, a discharge gap 7 is inserted into the conductor connecting the start electrode 6 and the start pulse generator 5. The discharge gap 7 is, for example, several mm. At the start of operation of the atomic oscillator, when a high voltage pulse is generated from the start pulse generator 5, a discharge first occurs in the discharge gap 7, and then a discharge occurs between the start electrode 6 and the lamp reflector 4. The voltage applied to the start electrode section due to the discharge between the first discharge gaps becomes a high voltage pulse that ripples at a very fast period. The peak value (voltage) and pulse width (connection time) of this high-voltage pulse can be controlled by changing the discharge state between the discharge gaps by changing the discharge gap length. Therefore, the discharge state caused by the start pulse at the start electrode portion can be effectively controlled. By adjusting the discharge gap length in this way, it is possible to create an optimal start pulse that matches the lighting start conditions based on the internal impedance of each lamp cell.

In the atomic oscillator of the present invention, by inserting such a discharge gap and adjusting the gap length, it is possible to form a discharge state according to the internal impedance of the lamp cell 2, thereby eliminating variations in lamp cell manufacturing. It is possible to reduce variations in lamp lighting characteristics based on

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the atomic oscillator of the present invention, it is possible to absorb to some extent variations in the internal impedance of the lamp cells due to variations in the manufacturing process of the lamp cells, and therefore it is possible to improve the manufacturing yield of the lamp cells. However, since the lighting characteristics of the light source lamp, which are important for the operation of the atomic oscillator, can be improved, it is extremely effective in increasing the reliability and performance of the atomic oscillator.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an atomic oscillator according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional atomic oscillator. 1...Lamp exciter, 2...Lamp cell, 3...
...Excitation coil, 4...Lamp reflector, 5...Start pulse generator, 6...Start electrode, 7...
discharge gap.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lamp cell that is excited at high frequency as a light source for optical pumping, a start electrode provided at one end of the lamp cell, a start pulse generation circuit for applying a start pulse to the start electrode, and a start electrode In an atomic oscillator in which a start pulse is applied to start the light emission of the lamp cell and the lamp exciter is used to excite the lamp cell, a discharge gap is inserted into a conducting wire connecting the start pulse generator that supplies the start pulse and the start electrode, An atomic oscillator characterized in that the start pulse includes a ripple component.