Patents by Inventor Eleanor Hodby

Eleanor Hodby has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Compact atomic magnetometer and gyroscope based on a diverging laser beam
    Patent number: 7872473
    Abstract: An atomic magnetometer that simultaneously achieves high sensitivity, simple fabrication and small size. This design is based on a diverging (or converging) beam of light that passes through an alkali atom vapor cell and that contains a distribution of beam propagation vectors. The existence of more than one propagation direction permits longitudinal optical pumping of atomic system and simultaneous detection of the transverse atomic polarization. The design could be implemented with a micro machined alkali vapor cell and light from a single semiconductor laser. A small modification to the cell contents and excitation geometry allows for use as a gyroscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: John Kitching, Elizabeth A. Donley, Eleanor Hodby, Andrei Shkel, Erik Jesper Eklund
  • COMPACT ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER AND GYROSCOPE BASED ON A DIVERGING LASER BEAM
    Publication number: 20090039881
    Abstract: An atomic magnetometer that simultaneously achieves high sensitivity, simple fabrication and small size. This design is based on a diverging (or converging) beam of light that passes through an alkali atom vapor cell and that contains a distribution of beam propagation vectors. The existence of more than one propagation direction permits longitudinal optical pumping of atomic system and simultaneous detection of the transverse atomic polarization. The design could be implemented with a micro machined alkali vapor cell and light from a single semiconductor laser. A small modification to the cell contents and excitation geometry allows for use as a gyroscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: John Kitching, Elizabeth A. Donley, Eleanor Hodby, Andrei Shkel, Erik Jesper Eklund