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AIP conference proceedings

Trapped Ion Optical Clocks at NPL

Helen S. Margolis, G. P. Barwood, K. Hosaka, Guozheng Huang, Hugh A. Klein, S.N. Lea, A. F. B. Stannard, Barney Walton, Stephen A. Webster, Patrick Robert Gill

Published Jan 1, 2006• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Forbidden transitions in single laser‐cooled trapped ions provide highly stable and accurate references for optical frequency standards. This paper describes recent progress on strontium and ytterbium ion optical frequency standards under development at NPL.
DOI
10.1063/1.2400638

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Forbidden transitions in single laser-cooled trapped ions provide highly stable and accurate references for optical frequency standards. This paper describes recent progress on strontium and ytterbium ion optical frequency standards under development at NPL.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations

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With the development of optical frequency comb and ultra-stable laser techniques, the performance of optical frequency standards has been improved significantly over the past decades. Single charged Yb ions have an alkali-like atomic structure and have ultra-long storage time. And the ytterbium single-ion optical frequency standards have two clock transitions (E2 & E3). In this paper, we will introduce the progress in the development of a highly accurate optical frequency standard based on single ytterbium-171 ion at the National Institute of Metrology (NIM), China.

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Summary form only given. A single laser-cooled ion held in an electrodynamic trap is a near ideal atomic sample for a frequency standard. The quantum jump technique is used to observe a high-Q forbidden transition in the ion. It has been suggested that the ultimate limit to the reproducibility of a standard of this type will lie in the region of one part in 10/sup 18/.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jan 1, 2000•0 citations
A number of laboratories are working towards developing optical frequency standards based on single trapped ions. The options are briefly reviewed. Recent progress using the singly ionised strontium system at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is outlined. A comparison of the frequency of the 2 S 1/2 – 2 D 5/2 transition at 674 nm in 88 Sr + , observed simultaneously in two traps, showed agreement at the 3 parts in 10 13 level. The possibility of cooling and probing 87 Sr + has recently been proposed because it offers a 674 nm transition between m F = 0 levels which is independent of magnetic field to first order. Trapping of 87 Sr + ions prepared using an oven containing an isotopically enriched strontium compound has been demonstrated at NPL.
Forbidden transitions in single trapped ion systems are being considered as references for future optical frequency standards. These standards are expected to have application as highly stable and reproducible optical clocks, realizations of the metre and as optical frequency standards in their own right. This paper prescribes the work carried out at the National Physical Laboratory over recent years to use a highly forbidden 2S1/2 - 2F7/2 467 nm electric octupole transition in a single ion of 171Yb+ as a frequency reference. A review of the previous measurements needed to the locate octupole transition in this 171-isotope is given and a more detailed discussion of recent work is presented. This includes spectroscopy of the octupole transition with kilohertz resolution and a direct measurement of its optical frequency. Measurements of the dynamic Stark and the quadratic Zeeman shifts on the octupole frequency are also discussed.
Transitions between discrete energy levels in well-isolated atomic systems are highly reproducible and therefore make ideal references for highly accurate frequency standards or clocks. In particular, a single laser-cooled ion confined in a radiofrequency ion trap closely approximates the spectroscopic ideal of a particle at rest in a perturbation-free environment. Narrow optical transitions in such systems are therefore very promising for the realization of optical clocks with accuracy around 2 orders of magnitude higher than current microwave primary standards. In this paper the fundamental aspects, current performance and applications of trapped ion optical clocks are reviewed and the potential for future improvements is considered.
With the development of optical frequency comb and ultra-stable laser techniques, the performance of optical frequency standards has been improved significantly over the past decades. Single charged Yb ions have an alkali-like atomic structure and have ultra-long storage time. And the ytterbium single-ion optical frequency standards have two clock transitions (E2 & E3). In this paper, we will introduce the progress in the development of a highly accurate optical frequency standard based on single ytterbium-171 ion at the National Institute of Metrology (NIM), China.