Precise control of time and frequency underpins modern metrology, powering technologies from satellite navigation to gravitational sensing. Rubidium’s well-characterized atomic transitions, long coherence times, and strong electromagnetic sensitivity make it an outstanding medium for precision sensing and timekeeping. For instance, rubidium-based magnetometers can detect magnetic fields more than 15 orders of magnitude weaker than Earth’s field. However, most quantum sensing systems remain limited to laboratory environments, relying on bulky optics and fragile alignment. Transitioning these capabilities to chip-scale devices is a major frontier in quantum technology. Our research aims to develop a hybrid atomic-photonic system that enables chip-scale frequency references, atomic clocks, magnetometers, and gyroscopes.

reading material:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-021-00853-4