2019 Prix OMEGA scientific award

Young researcher Sylvain Karlen has been awarded this year's Prix OMEGA scientific for his PhD thesis entitled “Fabrication and characterization of MEMS alkali vapor cells used in chip-scale atomic clocks and other atomic devices”. The prize encourages scientific research by young researchers in the fields of microengineering, micro- and nanotechnology, time-frequency, or chronometry.

Our warmest congratulations to Sylvain. Thanks to him, we are proud to be at the forefront of European commercial chip-scale atomic clocks and novel quantum sensors.

Results in brief

Sylvain’s thesis addressed various crucial technological aspects related to the fabrication and the characterization of microfabricated atomic vapor cells for atomic clocks and atomic gyroscopes. In particular, he demonstrated a new sealing method for these cells and resolved several technological limitations in order to improve the short and long term frequency stability of miniature atomic clocks. He also recorded preliminary gyroscope signals using MEMS atomic vapor cells.

Sylvain obtained his Master’s diploma in Applied Physics at EPFL in 2014. He then joined CSEM and the University of Neuchâtel to work on his PhD thesis that was directed by Prof. G. Mileti from the University. He successfully concluded his PhD in December 2017. In 2018 he was appointed at CSEM as an R&D Engineer and is now still active in the fields of quantum sensors and next generation atomic clocks in the Time & Frequency Group of the Systems Division.