DEVICE FOR AN ATOMIC CLOCK

摘要

The invention relates to a device for an atomic clock, including: a laser source (102) that generates a laser beam; a splitter (101) that makes it possible to divert and allow a portion of the laser beam to pass therethrough in accordance with a predefined percentage; a quarter-wave plate (105) that modifies the linear polarization of the laser beam into circular polarization and vice versa; a gas cell arranged on the circular polarization laser beam; a mirror (107) sending the laser beam back toward the gas cell (106); and a first photodetector (108a). The splitter (101) is arranged between the laser source (102) and the mirror (107), the quarter-wave plate (105) is arranged between the splitter (101) and the mirror (107), the gas cell (106) is arranged between the quarter-wave plate (105) and the mirror (107) such that the polarization of the beam emitted by the laser source (102) via the splitter (101) and incident on the quarter-wave plate (105) is linear along the first angle and modified by the quarter-wave plate (105) into circular polarization, and the circular polarization of the beam reflected by the mirror (107) and passing through the gas cell (106) a second time is modified into linear polarization along the second angle by the quarter-wave plate (105), the splitter (101) routing a portion of the retroreflected beam to the first photodetector (108a). The device also comprises a polarizer (103) arranged between the laser beam outlet and the splitter in order to protect the laser source from the retroreflections emitted by different optical elements constituting the device.