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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Absolute frequency measurements of the /sup 1/S/sub 0/-/sup 3/P/sub 0/ optical clock transition at 578 nm in neutral Yb

Chris W. Oates, Chad Hoyt, Zeb W. Barber, Scott A. Diddams, Tara M. Fortier, Leo W. Hollberg

Published Jan 1, 2005• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This work has focused on two atoms, Sr and Yb, due in part to the relatively high abundance of their odd isotopes, the use of which is necessary for appreciable direct excitation probability. The Sr clock transition has been measured (with an uncertainty of 20 kHz) using atoms in a magneto-optic trap (MOT), and has been excited with atoms confined in a one dimensional lattice. Here we report direct excitation of the Yb clock transition (at 578 nm) with atoms in a second-stage MOT, and the first fs-laser comb-based absolute measurements of the clock frequency for two different isotopes. These measurements lead to a nearly millionfold improvement in our knowledge of the transition frequencies, an important step toward Doppler-free spectroscopy of Yb atoms in a lattice.

DOI
10.1109/iqec.2005.1561162

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Absolute frequency measurements of the /sup 1/S/sub 0/-/sup 3/P/sub 0/ optical clock transition at 578 nm in neutral Yb

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This work has focused on two atoms, Sr and Yb, due in part to the relatively high abundance of their odd isotopes, the use of which is necessary for appreciable direct excitation probability. The Sr clock transition has been measured (with an uncertainty of 20 kHz) using atoms in a magneto-optic trap (MOT), and has been excited with atoms confined in a one dimensional lattice. Here we report direct excitation of the Yb clock transition (at 578 nm) with atoms in a second-stage MOT, and the first fs-laser comb-based absolute measurements of the clock frequency for two different isotopes. These measurements lead to a nearly millionfold improvement in our knowledge of the transition frequencies, an important step toward Doppler-free spectroscopy of Yb atoms in a lattice.

IEEE/LEOS Summer Topical Meetings•Nov 8, 2005•0 citations

Observation and Absolute Frequency Measurements of the S01-P03 Optical Clock Transition in Neutral Ytterbium

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We report the direct excitation of the highly forbidden (6s2) 1S0 <--> (6s6p) 3P0 optical transition in two odd isotopes of neutral ytterbium. As the excitation laser frequency is scanned, absorption is detected by monitoring the depletion from an atomic cloud at approximately 70 microK in a magneto-optical trap. The measured frequency in 171Yb (F=1/2) is 518,295,836,591.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. The measured frequency in 173Yb (F=5/2) is 518,294,576,847.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. Measurements are made with a femtosecond-laser frequency comb calibrated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology cesium fountain clock and represent nearly a 10(6)-fold reduction in uncertainty. The natural linewidth of these J=0 to J=0 transitions is calculated to be approximately 10 mHz, making them well suited to support a new generation of optical atomic clocks based on confinement in an optical lattice.

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We report an experimental observation of the weak 'SO-~PO transition in 171,173Ybl and new approaches for qubits and optical clocks with this single-photon resonance and a three-photon resonance in an even isotope, respectively. Introduction - Optical clocks show great promise as the next generation of precision frequency standards due to the high frequency and correspondingly high line-Q of weakly allowed atomic transitions. Thanks to femtosecond comb technology (l), clocks based on optical transitions in both single trapped ions and neutral atom clouds are poised to exceed the already stringent bounds on precision set by microwave frequency standards. A recent proposal combining the Lamb-Dicke confinement of single ion frequency standards with the high signal-tenoise of neutral atom cLouds, and exploiting a highly forbidden transition insensitive to external magnetic fields and trap light polarization has the potential to do even better (2). The scheme makes use of the 'SO-~P~ electric dipole transition in alkaline-earth atoms, weakly allowed in odd isotopes by the hyperfine interaction of the nuclear spin and completely forbidden by a single-photon process in even isotopes. Trapping the atoms in a Stark-free optical httice will allow a large ensemble of atoms to exhibit a spectrum free of Doppler and recoil shifts, leading to an estimated accuracy of a few parts in lo1* (3, 41. As an additional application, the long atomic coherence times in optical lattices also suggest using the 'SO-~PO pairs of states as an array of qubits for quantum information (5, 61. Yb and Sr are both strong candidates for an optical lattice clock as well as for creating useful qubits. Both atoms have experimentally accessible energy level transitions, allowing the atoms to be readily laser-cooled and trapped, and in the case of Yb, Eose-Einstein condensed. While the Sr clock transition has been studied extensively, both in and out of an optical lattice, the same transition in Yb has thus far remained unexplored experimentally. Here we report the direct excitation of the 578 nm 'SO-~P~ transition in odd isotope 171,173Yb. (We understand that a group at NIST has also observed this transition (7)). We also discuss the possible application of this type of transitions in making qubits for quantum computation and a clock scheme based on three-photon transition in an even isotope (8, 91. - The level structure of Yb and the experimental apparatus are diagrammed in Fig. 1. The experiment is performed on a sample of cold atoms collected in a magneto- optical trap (MOT). To excite the clock transition, we shut off the MOT beams and irradiate the cloud of atoms with a 578 nm probe. JVe t,hen turn the MOT beams back on, continuously monitoring 399 nm fluorescence from the atom cloud. As the probe laser frequency is scanned over the dock transition, there is an observable decrease in MOT fluorescence as atoms are excited into the metastable 3Po state and escape the trap. By chopping trap and probe beams out of phase, we avoid light shifts of the clock transition due to near-resonant 399 nm light while maintaining a steady-state MOT population. The MOT fluorescence reduction of 171Yb is shown in Fig. 2 (a). Since iodine lines have been well measured in Observation of the 1So-3P, Transition in 1713173Yb

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We report direct single-laser excitation of the strictly forbidden (6s2)1S0 <--> (6s6p)3P0 clock transition in 174Yb atoms confined to a 1D optical lattice. A small (approximately 1.2 mT) static magnetic field was used to induce a nonzero electric dipole transition probability between the clock states at 578.42 nm. Narrow resonance linewidths of 20 Hz (FWHM) with high contrast were observed, demonstrating a resonance quality factor of 2.6 x 10(13). The previously unknown ac Stark shift-canceling (magic) wavelength was determined to be 759.35 +/- 0.02 nm. This method for using the metrologically superior even isotope can be easily implemented in current Yb and Sr lattice clocks and can create new clock possibilities in other alkaline-earth-like atoms such as Mg and Ca.

arXiv:physics/0512084•Physical Review Letters•Mar 1, 2006•268 citations
This work has focused on two atoms, Sr and Yb, due in part to the relatively high abundance of their odd isotopes, the use of which is necessary for appreciable direct excitation probability. The Sr clock transition has been measured (with an uncertainty of 20 kHz) using atoms in a magneto-optic trap (MOT), and has been excited with atoms confined in a one dimensional lattice. Here we report direct excitation of the Yb clock transition (at 578 nm) with atoms in a second-stage MOT, and the first fs-laser comb-based absolute measurements of the clock frequency for two different isotopes. These measurements lead to a nearly millionfold improvement in our knowledge of the transition frequencies, an important step toward Doppler-free spectroscopy of Yb atoms in a lattice.
This work has focused on two atoms, Sr and Yb, due in part to the relatively high abundance of their odd isotopes, the use of which is necessary for appreciable direct excitation probability. The Sr clock transition has been measured (with an uncertainty of 20 kHz) using atoms in a magneto-optic trap (MOT), and has been excited with atoms confined in a one dimensional lattice. Here we report direct excitation of the Yb clock transition (at 578 nm) with atoms in a second-stage MOT, and the first fs-laser comb-based absolute measurements of the clock frequency for two different isotopes. These measurements lead to a nearly millionfold improvement in our knowledge of the transition frequencies, an important step toward Doppler-free spectroscopy of Yb atoms in a lattice.
We report the direct excitation of the highly forbidden (6s2) 1S0 <--> (6s6p) 3P0 optical transition in two odd isotopes of neutral ytterbium. As the excitation laser frequency is scanned, absorption is detected by monitoring the depletion from an atomic cloud at approximately 70 microK in a magneto-optical trap. The measured frequency in 171Yb (F=1/2) is 518,295,836,591.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. The measured frequency in 173Yb (F=5/2) is 518,294,576,847.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. Measurements are made with a femtosecond-laser frequency comb calibrated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology cesium fountain clock and represent nearly a 10(6)-fold reduction in uncertainty. The natural linewidth of these J=0 to J=0 transitions is calculated to be approximately 10 mHz, making them well suited to support a new generation of optical atomic clocks based on confinement in an optical lattice.
Yb and Sr are both strong candidates for an optical lattice clock as well as for creating useful qubits. Both atoms have experimentally accessible energy level transitions, allowing the atoms to be readily laser-cooled and trapped, and in the case of Yb, Bose-Einstein condensed. While the Sr clock transition has been studied extensively, both in and out of an optical lattice, the same transition in Yb has thus far remained unexplored experimentally. Here we report the direct excitation of the 578 nm /sup 1/S/sub 0/-/sup 3/P/sub 0/ transition in odd isotope /sup 171,173/Yb. We also discuss the possible application of this type of transitions in making qubits for quantum computation and a clock scheme based on three-photon transition in an even isotope.
We report an experimental observation of the weak 'SO-~PO transition in 171,173Ybl and new approaches for qubits and optical clocks with this single-photon resonance and a three-photon resonance in an even isotope, respectively. Introduction - Optical clocks show great promise as the next generation of precision frequency standards due to the high frequency and correspondingly high line-Q of weakly allowed atomic transitions. Thanks to femtosecond comb technology (l), clocks based on optical transitions in both single trapped ions and neutral atom clouds are poised to exceed the already stringent bounds on precision set by microwave frequency standards. A recent proposal combining the Lamb-Dicke confinement of single ion frequency standards with the high signal-tenoise of neutral atom cLouds, and exploiting a highly forbidden transition insensitive to external magnetic fields and trap light polarization has the potential to do even better (2). The scheme makes use of the 'SO-~P~ electric dipole transition in alkaline-earth atoms, weakly allowed in odd isotopes by the hyperfine interaction of the nuclear spin and completely forbidden by a single-photon process in even isotopes. Trapping the atoms in a Stark-free optical httice will allow a large ensemble of atoms to exhibit a spectrum free of Doppler and recoil shifts, leading to an estimated accuracy of a few parts in lo1* (3, 41. As an additional application, the long atomic coherence times in optical lattices also suggest using the 'SO-~PO pairs of states as an array of qubits for quantum information (5, 61. Yb and Sr are both strong candidates for an optical lattice clock as well as for creating useful qubits. Both atoms have experimentally accessible energy level transitions, allowing the atoms to be readily laser-cooled and trapped, and in the case of Yb, Eose-Einstein condensed. While the Sr clock transition has been studied extensively, both in and out of an optical lattice, the same transition in Yb has thus far remained unexplored experimentally. Here we report the direct excitation of the 578 nm 'SO-~P~ transition in odd isotope 171,173Yb. (We understand that a group at NIST has also observed this transition (7)). We also discuss the possible application of this type of transitions in making qubits for quantum computation and a clock scheme based on three-photon transition in an even isotope (8, 91. - The level structure of Yb and the experimental apparatus are diagrammed in Fig. 1. The experiment is performed on a sample of cold atoms collected in a magneto- optical trap (MOT). To excite the clock transition, we shut off the MOT beams and irradiate the cloud of atoms with a 578 nm probe. JVe t,hen turn the MOT beams back on, continuously monitoring 399 nm fluorescence from the atom cloud. As the probe laser frequency is scanned over the dock transition, there is an observable decrease in MOT fluorescence as atoms are excited into the metastable 3Po state and escape the trap. By chopping trap and probe beams out of phase, we avoid light shifts of the clock transition due to near-resonant 399 nm light while maintaining a steady-state MOT population. The MOT fluorescence reduction of 171Yb is shown in Fig. 2 (a). Since iodine lines have been well measured in Observation of the 1So-3P, Transition in 1713173Yb
Direct observation and frequency measurement of /sup 1/S/sub 0//spl rarr//sup 3/P/sub 0 /line within an accuracy of 20 kHz is reported. The resonance frequency with an accuracy of /spl sim/ 100 kHz is reported by indirect measurement of the energy difference between /sup 1/S/sub 0/ and /sup 3/P/sub 0/ states. It is performed by successive frequency measurements of atomic transitions with higher linewidth, easier to observe: /sup 1/S/sub 0/ - /sup 3/P/sub 1/, /sup 3/P/sub 1/ - /sup 3/S/sub 1/ and /sup 3/S/sub 1/ - /sup 3/P/sub 0/ transitions. To perform direct observation of the clock transition, atoms are cooled to a temperature of /spl sim/ 2 mK in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Although the saturation broadening of the transition is orders of magnitude smaller than the Doppler width (1.5 MHz), a detectable signal is achieved by inducing a small leak in the MOT with a laser tuned to resonance. Atoms accumulate in the metastable /sup 3/P/sub 0 /state where they escape the trap. The resonance is detected by a decrease in the MOT fluorescence signal with a contrast of 1%.
We report direct single-laser excitation of the strictly forbidden (6s2)1S0 <--> (6s6p)3P0 clock transition in 174Yb atoms confined to a 1D optical lattice. A small (approximately 1.2 mT) static magnetic field was used to induce a nonzero electric dipole transition probability between the clock states at 578.42 nm. Narrow resonance linewidths of 20 Hz (FWHM) with high contrast were observed, demonstrating a resonance quality factor of 2.6 x 10(13). The previously unknown ac Stark shift-canceling (magic) wavelength was determined to be 759.35 +/- 0.02 nm. This method for using the metrologically superior even isotope can be easily implemented in current Yb and Sr lattice clocks and can create new clock possibilities in other alkaline-earth-like atoms such as Mg and Ca.