Abstract: A sensor for measuring the flex of a pole when exposed to one or more forces, the sensor including at least one magnet and Hall Effect sensor combination, wherein the at least one magnet and Hall effect sensor are at a predetermined position relative to one another when there are no forces acting on the pole and which are movable relative to one another when forces act on the pole, such that a signal proportional to the relative movement is generated by the sensor.

Abstract: There is provided an integrity monitor configured to monitor the integrity of a component protection device. The component protection device comprises a protective medium to protect at least one electronic component, and having associated therewith a magnetic element and a Hall Effect sensor. The at least one of the magnetic element and the Hall Effect sensor is embedded within the protective medium and the Hall Effect sensor is located, when in use, to sense a magnetic field generated by the magnetic element. The integrity monitor has an input for receiving an output of the Hall Effect sensor indicative of the sensed magnetic field and the integrity monitor is configured to identify from the received output any change to the sensed magnetic field and determine, based on the change to the sensed magnetic field, an integrity of the component protection device.

Abstract: A temperature sensor for a cold reference junction of a thermocouple is provided that may be incorporated permanently or removeably in a releasable connector having a first connector part arranged to engage releasably with a second connector part in which the thermocouple conductors terminate, so forming a cold reference junction for the thermocouple. When the two parts of the connector are engaged, the temperature sensor of the present invention is able to sense the temperature in the vicinity of a cold reference junction in the connector. The temperature sensor may be provided by embedding one or more thermistors into a flexible disk or plate-like seal able to fit around the conductors of the first connector part such that the thermistors make electrical contact with selected conductors of the first connector part and thermal contact with the cold reference junction.

Abstract: Making alkali metal vapor cells includes: providing a preform wafer that includes cell cavities in a cavity layer; providing a sealing wafer having a cover layer and transmission apertures; disposing a deposition assembly on the sealing wafer; disposing an alkali metal precursor in the deposition assembly; disposing the sealing wafer on the preform wafer; aligning the transmission apertures with the cell cavities; subjecting the alkali metal precursor to a reaction stimulus; producing alkali metal vapor in the deposition assembly; communicating the alkali metal vapor to the cell cavities; receiving, in the cell cavities, the alkali metal vapor from the transmission apertures; producing an alkali metal condensate in the cell cavity; moving the sealing wafer such that the cover layer encapsulates the alkali metal condensate in the cell cavities; and bonding the sealing wafer to the preform wafer to make individually sealed alkali metal vapor cells in the preform wafer.

Abstract: A system for measuring a rower profile of a rower; the system comprising one or more sensors located on an oar for measuring one or more forces imparted on the oar by the rower in use at a predetermined time; one or motion tracking devices for determining a position of the oar in space at the predetermined time; a processing module for interfacing with the one or more sensors and a remote monitoring device; and determining the rower profile from the sensor data and the one or more motion tracking devices.

Abstract: A sensor for measuring the flex of a pole when exposed to one or more forces, the sensor including at least one magnet and Hall Effect sensor combination, wherein the at least one magnet and Hall effect sensor are at a predetermined position relative to one another when there are no forces acting on the pole and which are movable relative to one another when forces act on the pole, such that a signal proportional to the relative movement is generated by the sensor.

Abstract: There is provided an integrity monitor configured to monitor the integrity of a component protection device. The component protection device comprises a protective medium to protect at least one electronic component, and having associated therewith a magnetic element and a Hall Effect sensor. The at least one of the magnetic element and the Hall Effect sensor is embedded within the protective medium and the Hall Effect sensor is located, when in use, to sense a magnetic field generated by the magnetic element. The integrity monitor has an input for receiving an output of the Hall Effect sensor indicative of the sensed magnetic field and the integrity monitor is configured to identify from the received output any change to the sensed magnetic field and determine, based on the change to the sensed magnetic field, an integrity of the component protection device.

Abstract: A temperature sensor for a cold reference junction of a thermocouple is provided that may be incorporated permanently or removeably in a releasable connector having a first connector part arranged to engage releasably with a second connector part in which the thermocouple conductors terminate, so forming a cold reference junction for the thermocouple. When the two parts of the connector are engaged, the temperature sensor of the present invention is able to sense the temperature in the vicinity of a cold reference junction in the connector. The temperature sensor may be provided by embedding one or more thermistors into a flexible disk or plate-like seal able to fit around the conductors of the first connector part such that the thermistors make electrical contact with selected conductors of the first connector part and thermal contact with the cold reference junction.

Abstract: Making alkali metal vapor cells includes: providing a preform wafer that includes cell cavities in a cavity layer; providing a sealing wafer having a cover layer and transmission apertures; disposing a deposition assembly on the sealing wafer; disposing an alkali metal precursor in the deposition assembly; disposing the sealing wafer on the preform wafer; aligning the transmission apertures with the cell cavities; subjecting the alkali metal precursor to a reaction stimulus; producing alkali metal vapor in the deposition assembly; communicating the alkali metal vapor to the cell cavities; receiving, in the cell cavities, the alkali metal vapor from the transmission apertures; producing an alkali metal condensate in the cell cavity; moving the sealing wafer such that the cover layer encapsulates the alkali metal condensate in the cell cavities; and bonding the sealing wafer to the preform wafer to make individually sealed alkali metal vapor cells in the preform wafer.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of detecting a J-coupling includes providing a polarized analyte adjacent to a vapor cell of an atomic magnetometer; and measuring one or more J-coupling parameters using the atomic magnetometer. According to an embodiment, measuring the one or more J-coupling parameters includes detecting a magnetic field created by the polarized analyte as the magnetic field evolves under a J-coupling interaction.

Abstract: A magnetometer and method of use is presently disclosed. The magnetometer has at least one sensor void of extraneous metallic components, electrical contacts and electrically conducting pathways. The sensor contains an active material vapor, such as an alkali vapor, that alters at least one measurable parameter of light passing therethrough, when in a magnetic field. The sensor may have an absorptive material configured to absorb laser light and thereby activate or heat the active material vapor.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of detecting a J-coupling includes providing a polarized analyte adjacent to a vapor cell of an atomic magnetometer; and measuring one or more J-coupling parameters using the atomic magnetometer. According to an embodiment, measuring the one or more J-coupling parameters includes detecting a magnetic field created by the polarized analyte as the magnetic field evolves under a J-coupling interaction.

Abstract: An integral microfluidic device includes an alkali vapor cell and microfluidic channel, which can be used to detect magnetism for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Small magnetic fields in the vicinity of the vapor cell can be measured by optically polarizing and probing the spin precession in the small magnetic field. This can then be used to detect the magnetic field of in encoded analyte in the adjacent microfluidic channel. The magnetism in the microfluidic channel can be modulated by applying an appropriate series of radio or audio frequency pulses upstream from the microfluidic chip (the remote detection modality) to yield a sensitive means of detecting NMR and MRI.

Abstract: A magnetometer and method of use is presently disclosed. The magnetometer has at least one sensor void of extraneous metallic components, electrical contacts and electrically conducting pathways. The sensor contains an active material vapor, such as an alkali vapor, that alters at least one measurable parameter of light passing therethrough, when in a magnetic field. The sensor may have an absorptive material configured to absorb laser light and thereby activate or heat the active material vapor.

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.

Abstract: An integral microfluidic device includes an alkali vapor cell and microfluidic channel, which can be used to detect magnetism for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Small magnetic fields in the vicinity of the vapor cell can be measured by optically polarizing and probing the spin precession in the small magnetic field. This can then be used to detect the magnetic field of in encoded analyte in the adjacent microfluidic channel. The magnetism in the microfluidic channel can be modulated by applying an appropriate series of radio or audio frequency pulses upstream from the microfluidic chip (the remote detection modality) to yield a sensitive means of detecting NMR and MRI.

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.

Abstract: A method of fabricating compact alkali vapor filled cells that have volumes of 1 cm3 or less that are useful in atomic frequency reference devices such as atomic clocks. According to one embodiment the alkali vapor filled cells are formed by sealing the ends of small hollow glass fibers. According to another embodiment the alkali vapor filled cells are formed by anodic bonding of glass plates to silicon wafers to seal the openings of holes formed in the silicon wafers. The anodic bonding method of fabricating the alkali vapor filled cells enables the production of semi-monolithic integrated physics packages of various designs.

Abstract: A method is provided for optimizing the performance of laser-pumped atomic frequency references with respect to the laser detuning and other operating parameters. This method is based on the new understanding that the frequency references short-term instability is minimized when (a) the laser frequency is tuned nominally a few tens of MHz away from the center of the atomic absorption line, and (b) the external oscillator lock modulation frequency is set either far below or far above the inverse of the optical pumping time of the atoms.

Abstract: A microwave frequency standard is provided which allows for miniaturization down to length scales of order one micron, comprising a modulated light field originating from a laser that illuminates a collection of quantum absorbers contained in a micro-machined cell. The frequency standard of the present invention can be based on all-optical excitation techniques such as coherent population trapping (CPT) and stimulated Raman scattering or on conventional microwave-excited designs. In a CPT-based embodiment, a photodetector detects a change in transmitted power through the cell and that is used to stabilize an external oscillator to correspond to the absorber's transition frequency by locking the laser modulation frequency to the transition frequency. In a stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) embodiment, a high-speed photodetector detects a laser field transmitted through the cell beating with a second field originating in the cell.