Rabi and Ramsey interrogations of metastable beams

N. Beverini, Mara Galli, M. Inguscio +1 more

Daniel Varela Magalhães, Stella Müller, Aida Bebeachibuli +2 more

We have compared the stability of two distinct atomic frequency standards. One is based on an atomic cold cloud of 133 Cs atoms in free expansion, interrogated by a Rabi resonance. The other standard is based on a thermal Cs beam interrogated by the separated oscillatory field method (Ramsey’s method). The atomic expanding cloud standard shows better stability and technical advances based on its simplicity.

Peter Engels, Wolfgang A. Ertmer, K. Sengstock

Bertram Parister

G. S. Pati, Renu Tripathi, Gustavo Acosta +1 more

We are investigating coherent population trapping (CPT) and Ramsey-CPT interrogations in a cold atom system where the atomic beam originates from a pushed two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D+-MOT). Our results show promise for improving the performance of atomic clock using a cold atomic beam apparatus.

John Elgin, Thomas P. Heavner, John E. Kitching +3 more

We present results from an atomic clock that employs a beam of cold 87Rb atoms and spatially separated (Ramsey) coherent population trapping interrogation of the hyperfine clock transition at 6.834 GHz. The cold atomic beam is generated through the use of a 2D+-magneto-optical trap. The interrogation is performed on the D2 line of 87Rb, and the optical fields use a counter-propagating σ+–σ− probing scheme. The use of cold atoms allows for relatively narrow Ramsey fringes even for a small spatial separation between the two interrogation zones (4.6 cm). The resulting clock has a short-term stability of 3×10−11/τ.