  We report the fabrication of alkali-metal vapor cells using femtosecond laser
machining. This laser-written vapor-cell (LWVC) technology allows
arbitrarily-shaped 3D interior volumes and has potential for integration with
photonic structures and optical components. We use non-evaporable getters both
to dispense rubidium and to absorb buffer gas. This enables us to produce cells
with sub-atmospheric buffer gas pressures without vacuum apparatus. We
demonstrate sub-Doppler saturated absorption spectroscopy and single beam
optical magnetometry with a single LWVC. The LWVC technology may find
application in miniaturized atomic quantum sensors and frequency references.
