Date Thesis Awarded
5-2023
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Physics
Advisor
Seth Aubin
Committee Members
Chi-Kwong Li
Keith Griffioen
Abstract
This thesis describes research to characterize materials to be implemented on a microwave atom trap chip, which will be able to trap and spatially manipulate atoms using the spin-specific microwave AC Zeeman effect. Potential applications of this research include atom-based interferometry and quantum computing.
Namely, this thesis describes the characterization of the following: (1) the dielectric constant of a well-characterized substrate, Rogers RO4350B, in order to provide proof-of-concept for a method that can be applied to the chip’s substrate, aluminum nitride (AlN), (2) the maximum current that will be able to be applied to the chip, and (3) surface roughness and quality of cuts of samples to be utilized in creating the chip. In the broader context of the ultracold atom research in the Aubin Lab, characterizing these materials will be a major engineering milestone toward developing the chip. The next step of this research is to characterize the loss tangent of RO3450B. Then, a microwave-to-chip coupler to effectively insert microwaves onto a chip made from AlN is to be developed in order to apply the dielectric constant and loss tangent measurement methods to aluminum nitride. Finally, using the results of this research, fabrication and testing of the microwave atom trap chip itself will begin.
Recommended Citation
Shields, Jordan, "Materials Characterization for Microwave Atom Chip Development" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1959.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1959
