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(DURIP-95) Nano-Kelvin Cooling of Dense Atoms for an Ultra-Stable Fountain Atomic Clock.

Shaoul Ezekiel, M. S. Shahriar

Published Feb 1, 1997• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Abstract : With the funding provided under this grant, we have procured equipments for creating a sample of 87Rb atoms with ultracold temperature (35 nano-Kelvin) and high density (10(exp 12 /sq cm), using Raman cooling via velocity selective coherent population trapping. We have already been able to create a magneto-optic trap (MOT) of 87Rb atoms, loaded from background rubidium vapor inside the trap chamber. We have achieved a density close to 10(exp 12) /sq cm, at a temperature of 80 mu-K, which is typical of such a trap. The next step is to load the trap from a chirp-slowed atomic beam, and use a repumping beam which is dark at the center. This is expected to increase the density to about 10(exp 12) /sq cm. We will then Raman- cool the sample to about 35 nano-Kelvin, thus yielding a sample for a rubidium fountain clock. The fountain clock loaded from this source is expected to have a short term accuracy that is more than two orders of magnitude better than existing cesium fountain, which are already a factor of two better than existing cesium beam clocks used as primary frequency standards.

Related papers

Atomic Fountain Microwave Clock.

Steven Chu

Abstract : The grant as in support of a research program to explore the possibility of a microwave atomic clock based on an atomic fountain of cesium atoms. During the two year granting period, the following work was done: A large magneto-optic trap in a vapor cell was constructed where over 4x 10(exp 10) atoms were trapped at a density on the order of 10(exp 11) atoms/cu cm. This work increased the number of atoms optically trapped by a factor of -400 compared to previous work. The optical density of the atoms in this trap has a peak attenuation of e(-175). In an invited review article we examined the prospects for slow atom frequency standards. Most of the systematic effects that limit the current accuracy today's frequency standards decrease as the velocity of the atoms is reduced. We identified the one possible exception: collisions between ultra-cold atom in an atomic fountain could induce a phase shift that would ultimately limit the accuracy of the fountain clock. We brought the problem to the attention of B. Verhaar, who began a series of calculations on the effects of low energy collisions. jg p.4

•Jul 7, 1994•0 citations

An intense, highly collimated continuous Cesium fountain

N. Castagna

The realisation of cold and slow atomic beams has opened the way to a series of precision measurements of high scientific interest, as atom interferometry, Bose-Einstein Condensation and atomic fountain clocks. The latter are used since several years as reference clocks, given the high performance that they can reach both in accuracy and stability. The common philosophy in the construction of atomic fountains has been the pulsed technique, where an atoms sample is launched vertically and then falls down under the effect of the gravity. The Observatoire de Neuchâtel had a different approach and has built a fountain clock (FOCS1) operating in a continuous mode. This technique offers two main advantages: the diminution of the undesirable effects due to the atomic density (e.g. collisions between the atoms and cavity pulling) and to the noise of the local oscillator (intermodulation effect). To take full advantage of the continuous fountain approach however, we need to increase the atomic flux. The techniques chosen to reach this goal are an efficient transverse collimation together with more atoms to begin with. Here we report on a study of different transverse collimation techniques performed in a two-dimensional phase stable optical lattice (namely gray molasses and magnetically induced laser cooling) as well as the development and characterisation of a 2D-magneto-optical trap used to load the fountain. Best performances are reached in a 2D+-MOT configuration of such a pre-source, for which we detect an atomic flux 20 times greater than the one measured when the fountain is loaded by a Cs vapour. This gain could improve the atomic clock stability by a factor 6. An even better stability is expected after introducing a pre-cooling stage before performing the transverse collimation. This new configuration is currently under investigation and will be implemented in a second continuous fountain (FOCS2).

•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations

Article

Marie-Claude Gagné, J.-S. Boulanger, R J W Douglas

The accelerated development of laser methods for manipulating the internal state and motion of atoms, and the recent primary evaluation in France of a cesium frequency standard using cold atoms in an atomic fountain configuration, allow the frontiers of time metrology, accuracy, and stability to be pushed near parts in the 1016 level, a factor of 100 over the present primary laboratory clocks. These positive results revived the development of more accurate cesium atomic clocks, and the Institute of National Measurement Standards (INMS), of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is undertaking a cesium-fountain project aimed at reaching these new levels of accuracy and stability. This paper reviews its present status. To appreciate the considerable impact of cold atoms in time and frequency metrology, we begin by recalling the background principles of traditional cesium frequency standards, their typical performance and main limitations. After introducing the important theoretical results essential to understanding the techniques of laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping, we focus on describing the characterization and control of our magneto-optical trap (MOT) and report the parameters that allow us to fill the trap with a few million atoms in less than a second and cool them to a temperature lower than 5 muK using optical molasses. We will describe the specifics of our cesium-fountain prototype, which operates with a 2-dimensional moving molasses. This special configuration is applicable for multipulse operation of the fountain, which can greatly relax the local oscillator requirements for time keeping. Finally, progress toward our objective of launching cooled atoms, at a rate of one ensemble per second, at speeds of 7 m/s, for a fountain with an interrogation time of about 1 s, will be analysed.PACS Nos.: 06.20, 06.30, and 32.80P

Canadian Journal of Physics•Aug 1, 1998•0 citations

An intense, highly collimated continous cesium fountain

N. Castagna

The realisation of cold and slow atomic beams has opened the way to a series of precision measurements of high scientific interest, as atom interferometry, Bose-Einstein Condensation and atomic fountain clocks. The latter are used since several years as reference clocks, given the high performance that they can reach both in accuracy and stability. The common philosophy in the construction of atomic fountains has been the pulsed technique, where an atoms sample is launched vertically and then falls down under the effect of the gravity. The Observatoire de Neuchâtel had a different approach and has built a fountain clock (FOCS1) operating in a continuous mode. This technique offers two main advantages: the diminution of the undesirable effects due to the atomic density (e.g. collisions between the atoms and cavity pulling) and to the noise of the local oscillator (intermodulation effect). To take full advantage of the continuous fountain approach however, we need to increase the atomic flux. The techniques chosen to reach this goal are an efficient transverse collimation together with more atoms to begin with. Here we report on a study of different transverse collimation techniques performed in a two-dimensional phase stable optical lattice (namely gray molasses and magnetically induced laser cooling) as well as the development and characterisation of a 2D-magneto-optical trap used to load the fountain. Best performances are reached in a 2D+-MOT configuration of such a pre-source, for which we detect an atomic flux 20 times greater than the one measured when the fountain is loaded by a Cs vapour. This gain could improve the atomic clock stability by a factor 6. An even better stability is expected after introducing a pre-cooling stage before performing the transverse collimation. This new configuration is currently under investigation and will be implemented in a second continuous fountain (FOCS2).

•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations

Coherent Spectroscopy of Ultra-Cold Mercury for the UV to VUV

R. Jason Jones

Abstract : Narrow UV transitions in atomic Hg can be utilized for a high quality atomic frequency standard. The primary goal of the research supported by this grant was the development of a laser-cooled source of ultracold Hg atoms and the spectroscopic study of the doubly-forbidden clock transition to better understand its potential as a future atomic clock. During this funding period a novel UV laser system was developed to efficiently cool and trap atomic Hg to temperatures below 100 micro Kelvin. The narrow 1S_0 to 3P_0 clock transition was measured and used to determine the temperature of the Hg ensemble. The grant supported the PhD research of two students

•Nov 20, 2015•0 citations

Work towards an atomic fountain clock at Peking University

Yimin Li, Jidong Hou, Junxian Fu +3 more

Cesium atomic fountain clock is the quantum frequency standard with very high accuracy. Research on laser cooling and trapping of cesium atom at Peking University began in 1993. A cesium atomic fountain frequency standard is being developed. A magneto-optical trap with some 108 trapped atoms and an optical molasses with the cold atoms of the temperature of 10/spl mu/K have been achieved previously. The device has been carefully designed and is under construction. It is composed of two main parts: vacuum system and laser system. The article describes the apparatus and presents a brief introduction to some considerations on the atomic clock.

Joint Conference of the European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (EFTF/IFCS)•Nov 27, 2002•0 citations
Abstract : With the funding provided under this grant, we have procured equipments for creating a sample of 87Rb atoms with ultracold temperature (35 nano-Kelvin) and high density (10(exp 12 /sq cm), using Raman cooling via velocity selective coherent population trapping. We have already been able to create a magneto-optic trap (MOT) of 87Rb atoms, loaded from background rubidium vapor inside the trap chamber. We have achieved a density close to 10(exp 12) /sq cm, at a temperature of 80 mu-K, which is typical of such a trap. The next step is to load the trap from a chirp-slowed atomic beam, and use a repumping beam which is dark at the center. This is expected to increase the density to about 10(exp 12) /sq cm. We will then Raman- cool the sample to about 35 nano-Kelvin, thus yielding a sample for a rubidium fountain clock. The fountain clock loaded from this source is expected to have a short term accuracy that is more than two orders of magnitude better than existing cesium fountain, which are already a factor of two better than existing cesium beam clocks used as primary frequency standards.
Abstract : The grant as in support of a research program to explore the possibility of a microwave atomic clock based on an atomic fountain of cesium atoms. During the two year granting period, the following work was done: A large magneto-optic trap in a vapor cell was constructed where over 4x 10(exp 10) atoms were trapped at a density on the order of 10(exp 11) atoms/cu cm. This work increased the number of atoms optically trapped by a factor of -400 compared to previous work. The optical density of the atoms in this trap has a peak attenuation of e(-175). In an invited review article we examined the prospects for slow atom frequency standards. Most of the systematic effects that limit the current accuracy today's frequency standards decrease as the velocity of the atoms is reduced. We identified the one possible exception: collisions between ultra-cold atom in an atomic fountain could induce a phase shift that would ultimately limit the accuracy of the fountain clock. We brought the problem to the attention of B. Verhaar, who began a series of calculations on the effects of low energy collisions. jg p.4
The realisation of cold and slow atomic beams has opened the way to a series of precision measurements of high scientific interest, as atom interferometry, Bose-Einstein Condensation and atomic fountain clocks. The latter are used since several years as reference clocks, given the high performance that they can reach both in accuracy and stability. The common philosophy in the construction of atomic fountains has been the pulsed technique, where an atoms sample is launched vertically and then falls down under the effect of the gravity. The Observatoire de Neuchâtel had a different approach and has built a fountain clock (FOCS1) operating in a continuous mode. This technique offers two main advantages: the diminution of the undesirable effects due to the atomic density (e.g. collisions between the atoms and cavity pulling) and to the noise of the local oscillator (intermodulation effect). To take full advantage of the continuous fountain approach however, we need to increase the atomic flux. The techniques chosen to reach this goal are an efficient transverse collimation together with more atoms to begin with. Here we report on a study of different transverse collimation techniques performed in a two-dimensional phase stable optical lattice (namely gray molasses and magnetically induced laser cooling) as well as the development and characterisation of a 2D-magneto-optical trap used to load the fountain. Best performances are reached in a 2D+-MOT configuration of such a pre-source, for which we detect an atomic flux 20 times greater than the one measured when the fountain is loaded by a Cs vapour. This gain could improve the atomic clock stability by a factor 6. An even better stability is expected after introducing a pre-cooling stage before performing the transverse collimation. This new configuration is currently under investigation and will be implemented in a second continuous fountain (FOCS2).
The accelerated development of laser methods for manipulating the internal state and motion of atoms, and the recent primary evaluation in France of a cesium frequency standard using cold atoms in an atomic fountain configuration, allow the frontiers of time metrology, accuracy, and stability to be pushed near parts in the 1016 level, a factor of 100 over the present primary laboratory clocks. These positive results revived the development of more accurate cesium atomic clocks, and the Institute of National Measurement Standards (INMS), of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is undertaking a cesium-fountain project aimed at reaching these new levels of accuracy and stability. This paper reviews its present status. To appreciate the considerable impact of cold atoms in time and frequency metrology, we begin by recalling the background principles of traditional cesium frequency standards, their typical performance and main limitations. After introducing the important theoretical results essential to understanding the techniques of laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping, we focus on describing the characterization and control of our magneto-optical trap (MOT) and report the parameters that allow us to fill the trap with a few million atoms in less than a second and cool them to a temperature lower than 5 muK using optical molasses. We will describe the specifics of our cesium-fountain prototype, which operates with a 2-dimensional moving molasses. This special configuration is applicable for multipulse operation of the fountain, which can greatly relax the local oscillator requirements for time keeping. Finally, progress toward our objective of launching cooled atoms, at a rate of one ensemble per second, at speeds of 7 m/s, for a fountain with an interrogation time of about 1 s, will be analysed.PACS Nos.: 06.20, 06.30, and 32.80P
The realisation of cold and slow atomic beams has opened the way to a series of precision measurements of high scientific interest, as atom interferometry, Bose-Einstein Condensation and atomic fountain clocks. The latter are used since several years as reference clocks, given the high performance that they can reach both in accuracy and stability. The common philosophy in the construction of atomic fountains has been the pulsed technique, where an atoms sample is launched vertically and then falls down under the effect of the gravity. The Observatoire de Neuchâtel had a different approach and has built a fountain clock (FOCS1) operating in a continuous mode. This technique offers two main advantages: the diminution of the undesirable effects due to the atomic density (e.g. collisions between the atoms and cavity pulling) and to the noise of the local oscillator (intermodulation effect). To take full advantage of the continuous fountain approach however, we need to increase the atomic flux. The techniques chosen to reach this goal are an efficient transverse collimation together with more atoms to begin with. Here we report on a study of different transverse collimation techniques performed in a two-dimensional phase stable optical lattice (namely gray molasses and magnetically induced laser cooling) as well as the development and characterisation of a 2D-magneto-optical trap used to load the fountain. Best performances are reached in a 2D+-MOT configuration of such a pre-source, for which we detect an atomic flux 20 times greater than the one measured when the fountain is loaded by a Cs vapour. This gain could improve the atomic clock stability by a factor 6. An even better stability is expected after introducing a pre-cooling stage before performing the transverse collimation. This new configuration is currently under investigation and will be implemented in a second continuous fountain (FOCS2).
Abstract : Narrow UV transitions in atomic Hg can be utilized for a high quality atomic frequency standard. The primary goal of the research supported by this grant was the development of a laser-cooled source of ultracold Hg atoms and the spectroscopic study of the doubly-forbidden clock transition to better understand its potential as a future atomic clock. During this funding period a novel UV laser system was developed to efficiently cool and trap atomic Hg to temperatures below 100 micro Kelvin. The narrow 1S_0 to 3P_0 clock transition was measured and used to determine the temperature of the Hg ensemble. The grant supported the PhD research of two students
Cesium atomic fountain clock is the quantum frequency standard with very high accuracy. Research on laser cooling and trapping of cesium atom at Peking University began in 1993. A cesium atomic fountain frequency standard is being developed. A magneto-optical trap with some 108 trapped atoms and an optical molasses with the cold atoms of the temperature of 10/spl mu/K have been achieved previously. The device has been carefully designed and is under construction. It is composed of two main parts: vacuum system and laser system. The article describes the apparatus and presents a brief introduction to some considerations on the atomic clock.