[time-nuts] Re: Creating a D.I.Y Rubidium Atomic Clock

[Tom Van Baak]

Hi Leo,

That sounds like a fun project. Here are some extremely informative 
resources:

"Introduction to the Rubidium Frequency Standard"
by Michael Parker, 358 pages
http://www.leapsecond.com/u/parker/ParkerIntroRFS-PPCP.pdf

"Rubidium Frequency Standard Primer"
by Bill Riley, 163 pages
http://www.wriley.com/Rubidium%20Frequency%20Standard%20Primer%20102211.pdf

"Selection Criteria for Rubidium Frequency Standards"
by Bill Riley, 51 pages
http://www.wriley.com/Selection%20Criteria%20for%20Rubidium%20Frequency%20Standards.pdf

Also read service manuals for commercial Rb products. Didier's site has 
a nice collection. Search by product number (e.g., 5065a) or by title 
(e.g., rubidium):

http://www.ko4bb.com/getsimple/index.php?id=manuals

/tvb


On 6/6/2023 12:25 PM, Leo Ahluwalia via time-nuts wrote:
> Hello, my name is Leo, and I was wondering about the feasibility of
> creating a simple rubidium atomic clock at home, and good places to source
> parts for this sort of project. I was also wondering what instruments and
> specialized knowledge would be required depending on how pre-built the
> parts are, for example, the prerequisite knowledge for creating PLL(s) for
> both frequency division to provide an output and also to modulate the input
> of the microwave oscillator. Any good resources or PDFs would be greatly
> appreciated, as I am very new to frequency analysis and phase manipulation
> in general. I was also hoping to keep the cost of the project soft-line
> below 500$, though that would be assuming a decent level of precision and
> already possessing basic equipment (oscilloscope, multimeter, etc…). Safety
> is also a major concern, as I know while the intensity of the EM waves
> involved is low, the power source may or may not be. This is all of course
> assuming a basic design, where my assumption is that it will involve the
> microwaves being shot at a rubidium vapor cell which is directed towards a
> photodetector. This would then be connected up to the PLL and circuitry to
> both provide a stable standard while also modulating the microwave
> oscillator to offset any external environmental factors. I don't have a
> clear vision of what would truly be the best design for both simplicity and
> cost, though this is what I've found to be a common design in what I've
> looked at online.
>
> Thanks, Leo