Patents by Inventor Thomas Overstolz

Thomas Overstolz 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).

  • Patent number: 10461760
    Abstract: In the present invention an alkali vapor cell is proposed comprising a sealed chamber enclosing an alkali atomic gas therein and having at least one optically transparent window. The chamber and the transparent window define an optical beam path through which a light beam can pass and which interacts with the alkali atomic gas in the chamber. The alkali vapor cell comprises at least one localized condensation area of alkali atoms at a predetermined location in the sealed chamber and the predetermined location is located inside or outside the optical beam path. The localized condensation area has higher alkali metal wettability than any other surface portion of the alkali vapor cell outside said localized condensation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Jean Gobet, Thomas Overstolz, Fabien Droz-dit-Busset
  • Publication number: 20170331485
    Abstract: In the present invention an alkali vapor cell is proposed comprising a sealed chamber enclosing an alkali atomic gas therein and having at least one optically transparent window. The chamber and the transparent window define an optical beam path through which a light beam can pass and which interacts with the alkali atomic gas in the chamber. The alkali vapor cell comprises at least one localized condensation area of alkali atoms at a predetermined location in the sealed chamber and the predetermined location is located inside or outside the optical beam path. The localized condensation area has higher alkali metal wettability than any other surface portion of the alkali vapor cell outside said localized condensation area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Jean Gobet, Thomas Overstolz, Fabien Droz-dit-Busset
  • Patent number: 9461659
    Abstract: The invention concerns a micro-machined vapor cell comprising a central silicon element forming a cavity containing vapor cell reactants such as alkali metal or alkali metal azide, buffer gas(es), and/or anti relaxation coating(s); a first and a second glass caps sealing the cavity; and a solenoid arranged to provide a homogeneous magnetic field to said vapor cell. The solenoid is coiled directly on the central silicon element of the vapor cell. This invention is an improvement for the highly miniaturized atomic clocks developments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Thomas Overstolz, Jacques Haesler
  • Publication number: 20160218726
    Abstract: The invention concerns a micro-machined vapor cell comprising a central silicon element forming a cavity containing vapor cell reactants such as alkali metal or alkali metal azide, buffer gas(es), and/or anti relaxation coating(s); a first and a second glass caps sealing the cavity; and a solenoid arranged to provide a homogeneous magnetic field to said vapor cell. The solenoid is coiled directly on the central silicon element of the vapor cell. This invention is an improvement for the highly miniaturized atomic clocks developments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA-Recherche et Développement
    Inventors: Thomas OVERSTOLZ, Jacques HAESLER
  • Patent number: 8906470
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a microfabricated atomic vapor cell, including a step of forming at least one cavity in a substrate and closing the cavity at one side. The method further includes: —a step of depositing a solution including an alkali metal azide dissolved in at least one of its solvents, —a step of evaporating such solvent for forming a recrystallized alkali metal azide, —a step of decomposing the recrystallized alkali metal azide in an alkali metal and nitrogen, such alkali metal depositing in the cavity of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA—Recherche et Developpment
    Inventors: Thomas Overstolz, Jacques Haesler, Vladislav Spassov
  • Publication number: 20120301631
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a microfabricated atomic vapor cell, including a step of forming at least one cavity in a substrate and closing the cavity at one side. The method further includes: a step of depositing a solution including an alkali metal azide dissolved in at least one of its solvents, a step of evaporating such solvent for forming a recrystallized alkali metal azide, a step of decomposing the recrystallized alkali metal azide in an alkali metal and nitrogen, such alkali metal depositing in the cavity of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA- Recherche et Developpement
    Inventors: Thomas OVERSTOLZ, Jacques HAESLER, Vladislav SPASSOV
  • Publication number: 20100084333
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing ultra-thin reinforced membranes from a SOI wafer having a front side and a back side, the front side having an etch stop layer buried under a device layer, provided for by forming reinforcement bars by etching openings in the device layer down to the etch stop layer, filling the openings at least partially by deposition of a first filler, and then polishing the top surface to the silicon surface before depositing a membrane material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: LIFECARE AS
    Inventors: Arnold Hoogerwerf, Thomas Overstolz