The project will be built around the integration of micro-fabricated diffractive optics and micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) vapour cells to exploit the scalability and magnetic sensitivity of coherent population trapping (CPT) in thermal atomic vapours. While single beam CPT provides scalar measurement along the axis of the beam, all-optical vectorisation of the magnetic field will be extracted from a single incident beam and diffractive optical element to simultaneously interrogate the ensemble along the three cartesian axes.  

The construction of this system at Strathclyde will be built upon the micro-fabrication and sensor development work of Dr McGilligan, strengthen by the magnetometry and field-deployable sensor expertise of Dr Ingleby. Furthermore, the coupling of this work with BGS will provide expert guidance, measurement validation and sensor testing. Comparison to observatory-level science instruments at Eskdalemuir (Scotland), including absolute magnetometers for space weather and induction coils for lightning detection.