A Miniaturized SERF Atomic Magnetometer Based on the Uniform Light Field

Abstract In this paper, we experimentally study the dynamic characteristics of a miniaturized spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometer based on the uniform light field. The ceramic ferrule is used to expand the Gaussian beam and improve light intensity uniformity, while the volume of the sensor is also reduced. This scheme makes the magnetometer have better sensitivity when the detected light intensity is less than 3.16 $\rm{mW/cm^2}$ at 120 ℃. When the temperature rises to 150 ℃, the sensitivity under the action of uniform light field is 18.5 $\rm{fT/Hz^{1/2}}$. The bandwidth of the sensor remains at the original level and meet application needs. The proposed structure improves transverse polarization uniformity within the miniaturized sensor, which is ideal for the magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetocardiography (MCG) imaging systems.