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Le Journal de Physique Colloques

LASER COOLING OF ATOMS AND ITS APPLICATION IN FREQUENCY STANDARDS

Vladilen S Letokhov, Vladimir G. Minogin

Published Dec 1, 1981• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The results of studies into the laser cooling of atoms have been summarized and the possibilities of application of cold atoms in frequency standards have been considered. It has been shown that the optical frequency standard on the basis of laser-cooled atoms Mg, Ca or Sr may have the long-term stability of about 10-15.
DOI
10.1051/jphyscol:1981842

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Sr-atoms are of special interest for an optical frequency standard since a large number of atoms can be cooled down efficiently to ultra-low temperatures in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The ultra-narrow line on the forbidden 1 S 0 -> 3 P 0 transition of 87 Sr ( 3 P 0 natural lifetime is approx. 100 s), and the ability to interrogate Sr atoms in a perturbation free dipole trap promise un-precedented low inaccuracy level and relative frequency instability, well below 10 -15 tau -1/2 . We will show the realization of an efficient atomic source of cold Sr atoms and the construction of an ultra-stable laser for the interrogation of the atoms.
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