NOvel pathways towards Miniature Atomic magnetometers for Defense – NOMAD

The sensitive and accurate measurement of magnetic fields is useful for many applications, including geophysical studies, measurement of biomagnetic signals, navigation, event monitoring or detection of magnetic anomalies.
In this context, atomic magnetometers offer a particularly promising modality in terms of sensitivity and accuracy. The most sensitive of them approach in particular the performance of SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices) but without requiring cryogenic cooling. Whereas until now, these sensitivity levels (< 1fT//vHz) were reserved for zero-field operating modes obtained in magnetic shielding, scalar magnetometers, capable of operating in an ambient field, are also beginning to reach remarkable sensitivities (<100fT//vHz) opening the way to many field applications.
At the same time, recent advances in the miniaturization of atomic devices, in particular concerning miniature atomic clocks, make it possible to consider new solutions for producing atomic magnetometers that are both sensitive and compact, particularly suitable for on-board measurements.
The NOMAD project therefore aims to develop new architectures of atomic scalar atomic magnetometers capable of operating in the Earth's field. NOMAD will benefit from an ideal context by relying on the know-how acquired during the development of miniature atomic clocks at FEMTO-ST and on the first developments in terms of atomic sensors initiated at Centrale Lille/IEMN.
NOMAD will exploit a new mode of confinement allowing to preserve the coherence of atoms in a favorable way in a microfabricated alkaline vapor cell. This mode will make it possible to study schemes of scalar magnetometers still little explored in miniature systems. Finally, NOMAD will aim to design, produce and characterize a first demonstrator of integrated optical architecture of a scalar atomic magnetometer.