Practical primary thermometry via alkali-metal-vapour Doppler broadening

Nicola Agnew*, Veronika Vohníková, Erling Riis, Graham Machin, Aidan S. Arnold

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Doppler-broadening thermometry (DBT) can be used as a calibration-free primary reference suitable for practical applications, e.g. reliably measuring temperatures over long periods of time in environments where sensor retrieval is impractical. We report on our proof-of-concept investigations into DBT with alkali metal vapour cells, with a particular focus on both absorption and frequency accuracy during scans. We reach sub-kelvin temperature accuracy, and experimental absorption fit residuals below $0.05\,\%$, in a simple setup. The outlook for portable, practical devices is bright, with clear prospects for future improvement.

Funding

We are grateful for insightful discussions with Livio Gianfrani, careful reviewing by Sonja Franke Arnold and Aldo Mendieta, and support via Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/T001046/1, EP/X525017/1; and National Physical Laboratory/EPSRC studentships 2749424 and 2931764.

Keywords

  • physics.atom-ph
  • quant-ph
  • primary thermometry
  • photonic thermometry
  • Doppler broadening
  • atomic spectroscopy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Practical primary thermometry via alkali-metal-vapour Doppler broadening'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this