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Applied Physics Letters

Atomic clock based on transient coherent population trapping

Tao Guo, Ke Deng, Xuzong Chen, Zhong Wang

Published Apr 13, 2009• 29 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We proposed a scheme to implement coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clock based on the transient CPT phenomenon. We proved that the transient transmitted laser power in a typical Λ system near CPT resonance features as a damping oscillation. Also, the oscillating frequency is exactly equal to the frequency detuning from the atomic hyperfine splitting. Therefore, we can directly measure the frequency detuning and then compensated to the output frequency of microwave oscillator to get the standard frequency. By this method, we can further simplify the structure of CPT atomic clock, and make it easier to be digitized and miniaturized.

DOI
10.1063/1.3120278

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We proposed a scheme to implement coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clock based on the transient CPT phenomenon. We proved that the transient transmitted laser power in a typical Λ system near CPT resonance features as a damping oscillation. Also, the oscillating frequency is exactly equal to the frequency detuning from the atomic hyperfine splitting. Therefore, we can directly measure the frequency detuning and then compensated to the output frequency of microwave oscillator to get the standard frequency. By this method, we can further simplify the structure of CPT atomic clock, and make it easier to be digitized and miniaturized.
We have theoretically and experimentally proven that the transient transmitted laser power through a typical Λ system atomic cell near Coherent Population Trapping resonance presents as a damping oscillation. The oscillating frequency is identical to the frequency detuning from the atomic hyperfine splitting. Based on the transient coherent population trapping (TCPT) phenomenon, we have proposed an atomic clock in which the standard frequency is obtained by compensated the TCPT oscillating frequency to the RF modulating frequency. Therefore we do not need to lock the RF frequency. There will be advantages for atomic clock miniaturization and stabilization.
We demonstrated a digitized atomic clock which is based on the transient oscillation of detuned coherent population trapping (DCPT). In the Λ structure atomic states system, the DCPT oscillation frequency exactly equals the absolute value of the frequency difference between the two pump laser fields minus the two ground states hyperfine splitting frequency. This DCPT atomic clock obtains the standard frequency by adding/subtracting the DCPT frequency from the laser modulation RF frequency. And it does not require a phase locking loop circuit to lock the standard frequency to the atomic transition. In addition, its data processing section can be easily digitized with high accuracy. The frequency instability of 1×10-11/τ1/2(τ=1000s) has been achieved.
We demonstrated an atomic clock based on coherent population beating (CPB). CPB occurs in typical Λ system, which enables us to obtain the beat frequency of the radio frequency for laser modulation and the hyperfine splitting. The beat frequency and its fluctuation is detected and accurately measured through digitized processing for compensating the shift of the radio frequency. It enables us to achieve a standard frequency which directly reference to the hyperfine transition. In our preliminary experiment an Allan Deviation of 3e-12 at 1000s is observed. CPB atomic clock eliminates the phase locking loop, and can be easily digitized and integrated.
We proposes a method for measuring the transient oscillation frequency observed when Coherent Population Trapping is excited by means of optical pumping radiation fields whose frequency difference is detuned slightly from the ground state hyperfine frequency of the atom used. Using narrow-band simulation filter and phase matching techniques this measuring method can provides a measurement precision of about 0.5Hz. Based on this reading accuracy the DCPT atomic clocks frequency instability can be better than 5e-11 (t=100s) and tend to more stable at longer integration time. According to our experimental results, we demonstrate that a DCPT atomic frequency standard could give good short and long term frequency stability.
A Coherent Population Trapping(CPT) atomic clock servo control circuit is designed based on the CPT phenomenon of 85 Rb. Taking MSP430 chip as a platform, combining with the physical device made up of Vecsel laser, photoelectric detector, and small 85 Rb vapor cell, a miniature atomic clock with the high-performance, high stability, low power consumption and small size is implemented. The volume is 31 cm3 and the power consumption is 660 m W. The frequency stability of 10 MHz measured is 2×10-10/s, 4×10-11/1 000 s. Full-hyperfine-splitting frequency modulation is used to improve the frequency stability.
Toward the next generations of compact atomic clocks, clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) offer a very interesting alternative. Thanks to CPT, a quantum interfering process, this technology has made a decisive step in the miniaturization direction. Fractional frequency stability of 1.5x10-10 at 1 s has been demonstrated in commercial devices of a few cm3. The laboratory prototype presented here intends to explore what could be the ultimate stability of a CPT based device. To do so, an original double-Λ optical scheme and a pulsed interrogation have been implemented in order to get a good compromise between contrast and linewidth. A study of two main sources of noise, the relative intensity and the local oscillator (LO) noise, has been performed. By designing simple solutions, it led to a new fractional frequency limitation lower than 4x10-13 at 1 s integration. Such a performance proves that such a technology could rival with classical ones as double resonance clocks.