Development of First European Chip-scale Atomic Clocks: Technologies, Assembling and Metrology

International audienceThis contribution concerns the results of the European Collaborative Project MAC-TFC (MEMS Atomic Clocks for Timing, Frequency Control & Communications) aiming the developments of the European version of MEMS atomic clock presenting a short-term stability of 5x10-11 over 1 hour. MAC-TFC proposal (website: www.mac-tfc.eu) is bringing together a consortium made of five major academic institutions (University of Besançon, University of Neuchâtel, EPFL-Lausanne, Technological University of Wroclaw, University of Ulm); two research institutes (VTT and CEA/Léti) and three industrial partners (SAES Getters, SWATCH R&D and Oscilloquartz). The goal is to develop and demonstrate all the necessary technologies to achieve an ultra-miniaturised, low-power caesium (Cs) atomic clock, using the principle of Coherent Population Trapping (CPT)