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arXiv:2010.15244

Compact transportable 171Yb+ single-ion optical fully automated clock with 4.9E-16 relative instability

Timur Abbasov, Makarenko, Konstantin, I. Sherstov, Mikhail A. Aksenov, Zalivako, Ilya, Ilya A. Semerikov, Borisenko, Alexander, Ksenia Yu. Khabarova, N. Kolachevsky, Sergey Chepurov, Alexei Taichenachev, S. A. Bagaev, Anton V. Tausenev

Published Oct 24, 2020• 1 citation

Abstract

The paper describes the results achieved in the development of the compact transportable fully automated optical clock based on a single 171Yb+ ion in a radiofrequency (RF) quadrupole trap. The resulted measurements demonstrated the 4.9E-16 output RF signal relative instability on 1000 s integration time with 298.1 kg weight, 0.921 volume, and 2.766 kW input power consumption of the device. A transformation of the ultrastable optical signal into the RF range was performed via the optical frequency comb with a supercontinuum fiber laser generator. The transformation was conducted without loss of initial stability and accuracy characteristics of the signal.

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2010.15244

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Abstract We report the results of studying a compact laser system designed for manipulating a quantum state of the optical qubit based on the 2S1/2 → 2D3/2 quadrupole transition in the 171Yb+ ion at a wavelength of 435.5 nm. An emission power of the laser system reaches 500 μW at λ = 435.5 nm and the relative frequency instability of at most 3 × 10−15 is achieved at averaging intervals from 0.5 to 50 s with a subtracted linear frequency drift. The compactness of the developed system makes it possible to employ it in transportable systems including optical clocks.

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We describe experimental investigations on an optical frequency standard based on a single laser cooled 171Yb+ ion confined in a radiofrequency Paul trap. The 435.5 nm electric-quadrupole transition from the 2S1/2(F=0) groudn state to the 2D3/2(F=2) state is probed using a diode laser system whose short-term frequency stability is derived from an environmentally isolated ULE cavity. The transition is resolved with a Foruier-limited full halfwidth of approximately 30 Hz. The absolute optical transition frequency is determined using a femtosecond frequency comb generator and a Cs fountain clock as the frequency reference. The measured frequency value is 688 358 979 321 Hz at an ambient blackbody radiation field of 300 K. The 1σ fractional uncertainty of this frequency measurement is 1×10-14.

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