arXiv:1411.5292 · Journal of the Optical Society of America B
Computational studies of light shift in a Raman–Ramsey interference-based atomic clock
G. S. Pati, Zachary Warren, Nan Yu, M. S. Shahriar
Abstract
Determining light shift in Raman–Ramsey (RR) interference is important for the development of atomic frequency standards based on a vapor cell. We have accurately calculated light shift in RR interference using the density-matrix equations for a three-level system without invoking the adiabatic approximation. Specifically, phase shifts associated with coherent density-matrix terms are studied as they are relevant to the detection of RR interference in transmission (or absorption) through the medium. For the single-velocity case, the numerically computed results are compared with the analytical results obtained using the adiabatic approximation. The result shows light shift suppression in conformity with the closed-form analytic solutions. The computational studies have also been extended to investigate RR interference for a Doppler-broadened vapor medium. Importantly, a velocity-induced frequency shift is found at the fringe center as an additional source of frequency error for a vapor cell Raman clock.