  Vapor-cell devices based on microwave interrogation provide a stable
frequency reference with a compact and robust setup. Further miniaturization
must focus on optimizing the physics package, containing the microwave cavity
and atomic reservoir. In this paper we present a compact cavity-cell assembly
based on a dielectric-loaded cylindrical resonator. The structure accommodates
a clock cell with $0.9 \, \mathrm{cm^3}$ inner volume and has an outer volume
of only $35 \, \mathrm{cm^3}$. The proposed design aims at strongly reducing
the core of the atomic clock, maintaining at the same time high-performing
short-term stability ($\sigma_y(\tau) \leq 5\times 10^{-13} \,\tau^{-1/2}$
standard Allan deviation). The proposed structure is characterized in terms of
magnetic field uniformity and atom-field coupling with the aid of
finite-elements calculations. The thermal sensitivity is also analyzed and
experimentally characterized. We present preliminary spectroscopy results by
integrating the compact cavity within a rubidium clock setup based on the
pulsed optically pumping technique. The obtained clock signals are compatible
with the targeted performances. The loaded-cavity approach is thus a viable
design option for miniaturized microwave clocks.
