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Joint Conference of the European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (EFTF/IFCS)

The development of a ytterbium ion frequency standard

D.J. Siedel, A. Williams, R. W. Berends, Lute Maleki

Published Jan 2, 2003• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A ytterbium ion standard currently under development for both ground and space applications is described. The ytterbium ion was chosen for its large hyperfine splitting at 12.6 GHz and the accessibility of its first excited electronic energy levels with light from frequency-doubled semiconductor and solid state lasers. The desired characteristics of a spaceborne instrument and the choice of ytterbium are discussed. The results of spectroscopy carried out on trapped ytterbium ions to determine means for overcoming the population trapping difficulties associated with this ion are presented.>

DOI
10.1109/freq.1992.270033

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A laser system for Doppler cooling of ytterbium ion on the transition in a single-ion optical frequency standard is developed. The second harmonic of a semiconductor laser with a wavelength of is used for cooling. The laser frequency is doubled in a nonlinear BiBO crystal embedded in a ring resonator, which also serves as a reference for laser frequency stabilisation. Second-harmonic power of is generated at a wavelength of . Diode laser radiation is modulated by an electro-optic modulator at to generate a sideband exciting the hyperfine component of the cooling transition that is not excited by resonant cooling light. The sideband relative intensity of a few percent proved to be sufficient to reduce the ion dwelling time in the state to less than and increase the cooling efficiency.

Quantum Electronics•Jun 30, 2014•3 citations
A ytterbium ion standard currently under development for both ground and space applications is described. The ytterbium ion was chosen for its large hyperfine splitting at 12.6 GHz and the accessibility of its first excited electronic energy levels with light from frequency-doubled semiconductor and solid state lasers. The desired characteristics of a spaceborne instrument and the choice of ytterbium are discussed. The results of spectroscopy carried out on trapped ytterbium ions to determine means for overcoming the population trapping difficulties associated with this ion are presented.>
A ytterbium ion standard is currently under development at JPL for both ground and space appliiations. We have chosen the ytterbium ion for its large hyperfine splitting of 12.6 GHz, and the accessibility of its first excited electronic energy levels with light from frequency-doubled semiconductor and solid state lasers. In this paper we discuss the desired characteristics of a space-borne instrument and why we have chosen ytterbium to meet these characteristics. We also present the results of spectroscopy carried out on trapped ytterbium ions to determine means for overcoming the population trapping difficulties associated with this ion.
We report on the development of a portable, trapped-ion, microwave frequency standard based on the 12.6 GHz hyperfine transition in laser-cooled ytterbium-171 ions. The entire system fits into a 6U 19-inch rack unit (51×49×2851\times49\times2851×49×28 cm) and comprises laser, electronics and physics package subsystems. The performance of this development system is evaluated; the fractional frequency instability was measured to be 3.6×10−12/√τ3.6\times10^{-12}/\surd\tau3.6×10−12/√τ for averaging times between 30 s and 1500 s.
We report on a study to determine the efficiency of various buffer gases in quenching the population trapping states of laser excited ytterbium ions. The ions were confined in an rf/dc hybrid trap, and their /sup 2/S/sub 1/2//spl hArr//sup 2/P/sub 3/2/ transition was excited with 329 nm laser light. Buffer gases used include H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified N/sub 2/ to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states, and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped ion microwave frequency standard.
A microfabricated ion frequency standard (i.e. an ion clock) is disclosed with a permanently-sealed vacuum package containing a source of ytterbium (Yb) ions and an octupole ion trap. The source of Yb ions is a micro-hotplate which generates Yb atoms which are then ionized by a ultraviolet light-emitting diode or a field-emission electron source. The octupole ion trap, which confines the Yb ions, is formed from suspended electrodes on a number of stacked-up substrates. A microwave source excites a ground-state transition frequency of the Yb ions, with a frequency-doubled vertical-external-cavity laser (VECSEL) then exciting the Yb ions up to an excited state to produce fluorescent light which is used to tune the microwave source to the ground-state transition frequency, with the microwave source providing a precise frequency output for the ion clock.
A laser system for Doppler cooling of ytterbium ion on the transition in a single-ion optical frequency standard is developed. The second harmonic of a semiconductor laser with a wavelength of is used for cooling. The laser frequency is doubled in a nonlinear BiBO crystal embedded in a ring resonator, which also serves as a reference for laser frequency stabilisation. Second-harmonic power of is generated at a wavelength of . Diode laser radiation is modulated by an electro-optic modulator at to generate a sideband exciting the hyperfine component of the cooling transition that is not excited by resonant cooling light. The sideband relative intensity of a few percent proved to be sufficient to reduce the ion dwelling time in the state to less than and increase the cooling efficiency.