Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Optics Letters

Observation of the cesium clock transition in laser-cooled atoms

David W. Sesko, Carl Wieman

Published Jan 15, 1989• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have used the light from diode lasers to produce a nearly stationary (upsilon ~ 15 cm/sec) sample of atomic cesium in optical molasses that is entirely in the F = 3 hyperfine state. In this sample we excite the 9.2-GHz 6SF = 3, m = 0 to F = 4, m = 0 clock transition. Most of the atoms remain for ~20 msec in the 0.4-cm(3) observation region. We observe that transitions take place by monitoring the fluorescence when the atoms are illuminated with light tuned to the 6S F = 4 to 6P(3/2)F = 5 transition. Rabi resonance linewidths of less than 50 Hz are obtained.

DOI
10.1364/ol.14.000269

Related papers

The Diode Laser Manipulation Of Cesium Atoms (polarization, Stopping).

Richard N. Watts

The results of two experiments involving the rapid frequency modulation of diode lasers are presented. In the first experiment, a cesium beam of 10('14) atoms/sec is produced with more than 98% of the atoms in a single spin state. The beam is polarized by optically pumping it with a single diode laser whose frequency is switched between the 6s(F = 4)-6p(,3/2)(F = 5) and 6s(F = 3)-6p(,3/2)(F = 4) transitions at 100 kHz. To do this, the frequency response of a diode laser to changes in injection current was first determined and the injection current modified to force a jump of 9.2 GHz in 1.5 (mu)sec. The same laser is used to probe the atomic population distribution simultaneously. In the second experiment, two diode lasers, tuned to the 6s(F = 4)-6p(,3/2)(F = 5) and 6s(F = 3)-6p(,3/2)(F = 4) transitions, are used to cool and stop a beam of cesium atoms. The laser frequencies are swept to keep them in resonance with the slowing atoms. The same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. More than 10('10) atoms/sec are slowed to a velocity of 0 (+OR-) 15 m/sec, corresponding to a temperature of 1(DEGREES)K. Both of these experiments demonstrate extremely simple and inexpensive ways to manipulate atomic cesium.

•Jan 1, 1986•0 citations

Cooling cesium atoms using diode lasers

Carl Wieman, R. N. Watts

We have cooled and stopped a beam of cesium atoms using frequency chirped diode lasers. In this technique, a moving atom absorbs and reemits many photons from a counter propagating laser that is frequency swept to keep it in resonance with an atomic transition. The resulting momentum transfer slows the atom. The basic approach is identical to that developed by Hall and co-workers, however, the use of diode lasers allows us to obtain the necessary frequency modulation simply by sweeping the laser injection current. We use two diode lasers tuned to each of the 6s hyperfine ground state levels to drive the 6s—6p3/2 transitions. Each laser is simultaneously swept over the Doppler profile of the 100°C thermal cesium beam to bring a substantial number to a stop. Using additional fast frequency modulation, the same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. This technique allows us to bring ~106 atoms/cm3 to a temperature of 1 K. This method is an extremely simple and inexpensive way to produce cold atoms.

International Laser Science Conference•Jan 1, 1986•0 citations

Cesium based laser-atomic oscillator

Saurabh Pandey, Roger Ding, George R. Burns +1 more

We report the first demonstration of a laser-atomic oscillator with cesium (Cs) atoms. A laser-atomic oscillator is analogous to an active mode-locked laser with a self-excited modulator, i.e., atoms, at a ground-state hyperfine transition frequency. Therefore, a laser-atomic oscillator can be configured as the simplest active atomic clock or a self-oscillating, earth-field atomic magnetometer that delivers oscillation signals both optically and electrically. With the current experimental Cs laser-atomic oscillator (Cs-LAO) setup, when it is configured as an atomic clock using the 0–0 hyperfine transition, the short-term fractional frequency instability is around the 10−10 level. When it is configured as a self-oscillating magnetometer using a magnetically sensitive 3–3 hyperfine transition, the magnetic field sensitivity is around 100 fT/Hz at 60 Hz. The presented Cs-LAO uses a cavity length from ∼6.5 to ∼11.4 cm. Ultimately, the minimal length of a Cs-LAO device can be ≤1.63 cm. Our new efforts unlock the potential of building truly chip-scale atomic clocks and magnetometers.

arXiv:2606.32019•Applied Physics Letters•Oct 26, 2026•0 citations

Three-dimensional cooling of cesium atoms in four-beam gray optical molasses

Denis Boiron, C. Triché, D. R. Meacher +2 more

We report the observation of three-dimensional cooling of cesium atoms using a four-beam optical molasses tuned to the blue side of the ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{g}}$=3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{e}}$=2 hyperfine component of the 6${\mathit{S}}_{1/2}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6${\mathit{P}}_{3/2}$ transition. The cooling mechanism is a Sisyphus effect involving atomic states that are nearly uncoupled from the light field. Starting from a magneto-optical trap at 70 \ensuremath{\mu}K, the cooling time was on the order of 1 ms with almost 100% capture efficiency and temperature smaller than 5 \ensuremath{\mu}K measured. We also present a probe transmission spectrum showing that almost all the atoms are found in the nearly dark states.

Physical Review A•Nov 1, 1995•68 citations

Observation of Spin Polarized Clock Transition in 87 Sr Optical Lattice Clock

Qiang Wang, Yige Lin, Ye Li +5 more

We report our observation of the spin polarized 1 S 0 → 3 P 0 clock transition spectrum in an optical lattice clock based on fermionic 87 Sr. The atoms are trapped and pre-cooled to about 2 μK with two stages of laser cooling at 461 nm and 689 nm, respectively. Then the atoms are loaded into an optical lattice formed by the interference of counter-propagating laser beams at 813 nm. An external cavity diode laser at 698 nm, which is stabilized to a high finesse cavity with a linewidth of about 5 Hz and a drift rate of less than 0.2 Hz/s, is used to excite the atoms to the 3 P 0 state. The π-polarized clock transition spectrum of resolvable m F states is obtained by applying a small bias magnetic field along the polarization axis of the probe beam. A spin polarized clock transition spectrum as narrow as 10 Hz with an 80 ms probe pulse is obtained.

Chinese Physics Letters•Dec 1, 2014•8 citations

Semiconductor laser excitation of Ramsey fringes by using a Raman transition in a cesium atomic beam

Philip Hemmer, M. S. Shahriar, B. E. Bernacki +3 more

An amplitude-modulated semiconductor laser is used to excite a 9.2-GHz Raman transition in a cesium atomic beam. Separated-field Ramsey fringes as narrow as 1 kHz wide are observed with a high signal-to-noise ratio, even for semiconductor laser linewidths as wide as 20 MHz. These narrow resonances have potential application in the development of high-accuracy, optically excited atomic clocks.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Aug 1, 1993•47 citations
We have used the light from diode lasers to produce a nearly stationary (upsilon ~ 15 cm/sec) sample of atomic cesium in optical molasses that is entirely in the F = 3 hyperfine state. In this sample we excite the 9.2-GHz 6SF = 3, m = 0 to F = 4, m = 0 clock transition. Most of the atoms remain for ~20 msec in the 0.4-cm(3) observation region. We observe that transitions take place by monitoring the fluorescence when the atoms are illuminated with light tuned to the 6S F = 4 to 6P(3/2)F = 5 transition. Rabi resonance linewidths of less than 50 Hz are obtained.
The results of two experiments involving the rapid frequency modulation of diode lasers are presented. In the first experiment, a cesium beam of 10('14) atoms/sec is produced with more than 98% of the atoms in a single spin state. The beam is polarized by optically pumping it with a single diode laser whose frequency is switched between the 6s(F = 4)-6p(,3/2)(F = 5) and 6s(F = 3)-6p(,3/2)(F = 4) transitions at 100 kHz. To do this, the frequency response of a diode laser to changes in injection current was first determined and the injection current modified to force a jump of 9.2 GHz in 1.5 (mu)sec. The same laser is used to probe the atomic population distribution simultaneously. In the second experiment, two diode lasers, tuned to the 6s(F = 4)-6p(,3/2)(F = 5) and 6s(F = 3)-6p(,3/2)(F = 4) transitions, are used to cool and stop a beam of cesium atoms. The laser frequencies are swept to keep them in resonance with the slowing atoms. The same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. More than 10('10) atoms/sec are slowed to a velocity of 0 (+OR-) 15 m/sec, corresponding to a temperature of 1(DEGREES)K. Both of these experiments demonstrate extremely simple and inexpensive ways to manipulate atomic cesium.
We have cooled and stopped a beam of cesium atoms using frequency chirped diode lasers. In this technique, a moving atom absorbs and reemits many photons from a counter propagating laser that is frequency swept to keep it in resonance with an atomic transition. The resulting momentum transfer slows the atom. The basic approach is identical to that developed by Hall and co-workers, however, the use of diode lasers allows us to obtain the necessary frequency modulation simply by sweeping the laser injection current. We use two diode lasers tuned to each of the 6s hyperfine ground state levels to drive the 6s—6p3/2 transitions. Each laser is simultaneously swept over the Doppler profile of the 100°C thermal cesium beam to bring a substantial number to a stop. Using additional fast frequency modulation, the same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. This technique allows us to bring ~106 atoms/cm3 to a temperature of 1 K. This method is an extremely simple and inexpensive way to produce cold atoms.
We report the first demonstration of a laser-atomic oscillator with cesium (Cs) atoms. A laser-atomic oscillator is analogous to an active mode-locked laser with a self-excited modulator, i.e., atoms, at a ground-state hyperfine transition frequency. Therefore, a laser-atomic oscillator can be configured as the simplest active atomic clock or a self-oscillating, earth-field atomic magnetometer that delivers oscillation signals both optically and electrically. With the current experimental Cs laser-atomic oscillator (Cs-LAO) setup, when it is configured as an atomic clock using the 0–0 hyperfine transition, the short-term fractional frequency instability is around the 10−10 level. When it is configured as a self-oscillating magnetometer using a magnetically sensitive 3–3 hyperfine transition, the magnetic field sensitivity is around 100 fT/Hz at 60 Hz. The presented Cs-LAO uses a cavity length from ∼6.5 to ∼11.4 cm. Ultimately, the minimal length of a Cs-LAO device can be ≤1.63 cm. Our new efforts unlock the potential of building truly chip-scale atomic clocks and magnetometers.
We report the observation of three-dimensional cooling of cesium atoms using a four-beam optical molasses tuned to the blue side of the Fg{\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{g}}Fg​=3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Fe{\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{e}}Fe​=2 hyperfine component of the 6S1/2{\mathit{S}}_{1/2}S1/2​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6P3/2{\mathit{P}}_{3/2}P3/2​ transition. The cooling mechanism is a Sisyphus effect involving atomic states that are nearly uncoupled from the light field. Starting from a magneto-optical trap at 70 \ensuremath{\mu}K, the cooling time was on the order of 1 ms with almost 100% capture efficiency and temperature smaller than 5 \ensuremath{\mu}K measured. We also present a probe transmission spectrum showing that almost all the atoms are found in the nearly dark states.
We report our observation of the spin polarized 1 S 0 → 3 P 0 clock transition spectrum in an optical lattice clock based on fermionic 87 Sr. The atoms are trapped and pre-cooled to about 2 μK with two stages of laser cooling at 461 nm and 689 nm, respectively. Then the atoms are loaded into an optical lattice formed by the interference of counter-propagating laser beams at 813 nm. An external cavity diode laser at 698 nm, which is stabilized to a high finesse cavity with a linewidth of about 5 Hz and a drift rate of less than 0.2 Hz/s, is used to excite the atoms to the 3 P 0 state. The π-polarized clock transition spectrum of resolvable m F states is obtained by applying a small bias magnetic field along the polarization axis of the probe beam. A spin polarized clock transition spectrum as narrow as 10 Hz with an 80 ms probe pulse is obtained.