We demonstrate a new approach to precision frequency standard characterization and stabilization, providing performance enhancements in the presence of non-Markovian noise in the local oscillator with software-only modifications. We develop a theoretical framework casting various measures for frequency standard variance in terms of frequency-domain transfer functions, incorporating the effects of feedback stabilization via a chain of Ramsey measurements. Using this framework we introduce a novel optimized \emph{hybrid feedforward} measurement protocol which employs results from multiple measurements and transfer-function-based calculations of measurement covariance given the local oscillator power spectrum. This approach exploits statistical correlations in the local oscillator frequency noise to provide high-accuracy corrections in the presence of uncompensated dead time in the measurement cycle or oscillator-frequency evolution during the Ramsey measurement period itself. We present numerical simulations of oscillator performance under competing feedback schemes and demonstrate benefits in both correction accuracy and long-term oscillator stability using hybrid feedforward.
We demonstrate a new approach to precision frequency standard characterization and stabilization, providing performance enhancements in the presence of non-Markovian noise in the local oscillator with software-only modifications. We develop a theoretical framework casting various measures for frequency standard variance in terms of frequency-domain transfer functions, incorporating the effects of feedback stabilization via a chain of Ramsey measurements. Using this framework we introduce a novel optimized \emph{hybrid feedforward} measurement protocol which employs results from multiple measurements and transfer-function-based calculations of measurement covariance given the local oscillator power spectrum. This approach exploits statistical correlations in the local oscillator frequency noise to provide high-accuracy corrections in the presence of uncompensated dead time in the measurement cycle or oscillator-frequency evolution during the Ramsey measurement period itself. We present numerical simulations of oscillator performance under competing feedback schemes and demonstrate benefits in both correction accuracy and long-term oscillator stability using hybrid feedforward.
We introduce concepts from optimal estimation to the stabilization of precision frequency standards limited by noisy local oscillators. We develop a theoretical framework casting various measures for frequency standard variance in terms of frequency-domain transfer functions, capturing the effects of feedback stabilization via a time series of Ramsey measurements. Using this framework, we introduce an optimized hybrid predictive feedforward measurement protocol that employs results from multiple past measurements and transfer-function-based calculations of measurement covariance to improve the accuracy of corrections within the feedback loop. In the presence of common non-Markovian noise processes these measurements will be correlated in a calculable manner, providing a means to capture the stochastic evolution of the local oscillator frequency during the measurement cycle. We present analytic calculations and numerical simulations of oscillator performance under competing feedback schemes and demonstrate benefits in both correction accuracy and long-term oscillator stability using hybrid feedforward. Simulations verify that in the presence of uncompensated dead time and noise with significant spectral weight near the inverse cycle time predictive feedforward outperforms traditional feedback, providing a path towards developing a class of stabilization software routines for frequency standards limited by noisy local oscillators.
Frequency metrology is a cornerstone of modern precision measurements and optical atomic clocks have emerged as one of the most precise measurement devices. In this progress report, we explore various Ramsey interrogation schemes tailored to optical atomic clocks primarily limited by laser noise. To incorporate frequency fluctuations directly into the theoretical model, we consider a Bayesian framework. In this context, we review fundamental bounds arising in Bayesian estimation theory, which serve as a benchmark throughout this work. We investigate the trade-off between entanglement-enhanced sensitivity and robustness against laser noise in order to identify optimal initial states, measurement schemes and estimation strategies. Beside standard protocols based on coherent spin states, spin-squeezed states and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states, we consider variational Ramsey protocols implemented via low-depth quantum circuits based on one-axis twisting operations to approach optimal stability. In particular, we review known and identify new optimal Ramsey interrogation schemes for a variety of scenarios, including different experimental platforms, ensemble sizes and regimes characterized by a wide range of interrogation durations and dead times. Hence, this work establishes a comprehensive theoretical framework for optimizing Ramsey interrogation schemes, providing guidance for the development of next-generation optical atomic clocks.
For atomic frequency standards in which fluctuations of the local oscillator (LO) frequency are the dominant noise source, we examine the role of the the servo algorithm that predicts and corrects these frequency fluctuations. We derive the optimal linear prediction algorithm, showing how to measure the relevant spectral properties of the noise and optimise servo parameters while the standard is running, using only the atomic error signal. We find that, for realistic LO noise spectra, a conventional integrating servo with a properly chosen gain performs nearly as well as the optimal linear predictor. Using simple analytical models and numerical simulations, we establish optimum probe times as a function of clock atom number and of the dominant noise type in the local oscillator. We calculate the resulting LO-dependent scaling of achievable clock stability with atom number for product states as well as for maximally-correlated states.
We propose an improvement for increasing the performance of locked periodic atomic frequency standards(AFS), based on correcting the noise of the asynchronism of phase-detecting and feedback process. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that the method can optimize the stability AFS which is related with d. And is the duty of phase-discriminating of AFS. If in-loop noise possesses white frequency noise characteristics, the stability will decrease following the coefficient of √(1 − d). Specially, when d approaches to 1, the stability will reach the limit of quantum project noise. Here we demonstrate three schemes to realize the idea in experiments and overlap-feedback is the most easily implemented one. Considering Dick effect in our method, the stability of our atomic fountain will be better than 1 × 10−14τ−1/2at d>0.93.
Laser frequency stabilization is conventionally analyzed using continuous-time control theory, which accurately models analog feedback but is insufficient for digital implementations where quantization, sampling, and stochastic noise shape the dynamics. In modern digital laser systems, such as Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC)-based lasers, finite discriminator and actuator resolution, sampling delays, and measurement noise introduce stochastic behavior that deterministic models do not capture. We present a discrete-time Markov-state framework that models the evolution of the quantized actuator in a digital laser frequency lock, with state-transition probabilities determined by the frequency discriminator response, noise statistics, and implemented digital control logic. The steady-state actuator and locked-laser frequency distributions are obtained directly from the unit-eigenvalue solution of the transition matrix, providing immediate access to key stability metrics without long time-domain simulations. For white frequency noise, we show that the Markov formulation is exact under decorrelated sampling and update schemes, while correlated discriminator sampling introduces a predictable inflation of actuator variance without shifting the operating point. In the presence of colored noise, long-range temporal correlations induce sampling-dependent deviations in both actuator mean and variance, defining the regime of validity of the memoryless Markov description. This framework provides a compact and physically transparent tool for analyzing and optimizing digitally stabilized lasers in integrated photonic systems.
Improving the clock stability is of fundamental importance for the development of quantum-enhanced metrology. One of the main limitations arises from the randomly fluctuating local oscillator (LO) frequency, which introduces ``phase slips'' for long interrogation times and hence the failure of the frequency-feedback loop. Here we propose a strategy to improve the stability of atomic clocks by interrogating two atomic ensembles sharing the same LO. The two ensembles are prepared in coherent spin states pointing along orthogonal directions in the Bloch sphere. While standard Ramsey interrogation can only determine phases unambiguously in the interval $[\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}/2,\ensuremath{\pi}/2]$, the joint interrogation allows for an extension to $[\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\pi}]$, resulting in a relaxed restriction of the Ramsey time and improvement of absolute clock stability. Theoretical predictions are supported by ab initio numerical simulation for white and correlated LO noise. While our basic protocol uses uncorrelated atoms, we further extended it to include spin-squeezing and further improving the scaling of clock stability with the number of atoms. Our protocol can be readily tested in current state-of-the-art experiments.