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

Physical Review A

Ramsey spectroscopy, matter-wave interferometry, and the microwave-lensing frequency shift

Kurt Gibble

Published Jul 14, 2014• 15 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We derive the general frequency shift of a microwave atomic clock due to resonant dipole forces acting on the atomic wave functions during the Ramsey interactions. We explicitly demonstrate that only dressed-state populations in position space contribute significantly to the frequency shift and that the de Broglie phases of the dressed-state wave functions do not contribute. In addition, we show that momentum changes in the second Ramsey interaction normally produce negligible frequency shifts in comparison to those from the first Ramsey interaction.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.90.015601

Related papers

Publisher's Note: Ramsey spectroscopy, matter-wave interferometry, and the microwave-lensing frequency shift [Phys. Rev. A 90 , 015601 (2014)]

Kurt Gibble

Received 6 December 2017DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.96.069910©2017 American Physical Society

Physical Review A•Dec 29, 2017•0 citations

Reply to ``Comment on `Ramsey spectroscopy, matter-wave interferometry, and the microwave-lensing frequency shift' ''

Kurt Gibble

The Comment by Jefferts et al. [Phys. Rev. A 91, 067601 (2015)] discusses the microwave-lensing frequency shift's possible dependence on the initial wave-packet size and two effects of wall interactions, the frequency shifts that they produce, and the nature of how dressed states are clipped by apertures. I identify conceptual errors in their criticisms, some of which are related to fundamental problems in their lensing treatment [Ashby et al., Phys. Rev. A 91, 033624 (2015)] for the NIST-F1 and NIST-F2 atomic clocks [K. Gibble, arXiv:1505.00691]. Aside from typesetting errors that they note, the criticisms in the Comment are shown to be incorrect.

Physical Review A•Jun 18, 2015•1 citation

Influence of external potentials on optical Ramsey fringes in atomic interferometry

Jürgen Audretsch, Karl-Peter Marzlin

The interaction of an atomic beam with four traveling-wave laser beams leads to optically induced Ramsey fringes in the atomic beam. This experimental setup has been used as an optical frequency standard as well as a matter-wave interferometer. We calculate for two-level atoms the shift of the fringes due to the influence of fairly general external forces in lowest order of a perturbation approach. A comparison with the phase shift found in a corresponding WKB treatment of the interaction geometry is made. The consequences of beam reversal and cooling of the atomic beam are studied. As an application, we treat the linear acceleration and rotation of the interferometer and discuss the influence of space-time curvature.

Physical Review A•May 1, 1993•10 citations

Difference between a Photon’s Momentum and an Atom’s Recoil

Kurt Gibble

When an atom absorbs a photon from a laser beam that is not an infinite plane wave, the atom's recoil is less than variant Planck's k in the propagation direction. We show that the recoils in the transverse directions produce a lensing of the atomic wave functions, which leads to a frequency shift that is not discrete but varies linearly with the field amplitude and strongly depends on the atomic state detection. The same lensing effect is also important for microwave atomic clocks. The frequency shifts are of the order of the naive recoil shift for the transverse wave vector of the photons.

Physical Review Letters•Aug 14, 2006•48 citations

s -Wave Collisional Frequency Shift of a Fermion Clock

E.L. Hazlett, Yi Zhang, Ronald W. Stites +2 more

We report an s-wave collisional frequency shift of an atomic clock based on fermions. In contrast to bosons, the fermion clock shift is insensitive to the population difference of the clock states, set by the first pulse area in Ramsey spectroscopy, θ(1). The fermion shift instead depends strongly on the second pulse area θ(2). It allows the shift to be canceled, nominally at θ(2)=π/2, but correlations perturb the null to slightly larger θ(2). The frequency shift is relevant for optical lattice clocks and increases with the spatial inhomogeneity of the clock excitation field, naturally larger at optical frequencies.

arXiv:1212.4385•Physical Review Letters•Apr 15, 2013•20 citations

Investigations on Microwave Power Shift in Compact Vapor-Cell Atomic Clock

William Moreno, Matthieu Pellaton, Nil Almat +3 more

We employ a three-level Bloch vector model to simulate Ramsey fringes of our Rb vapor-cell atomic clock. The residual inhomogeneity of the microwave magnetic field across the buffer-gas cell is a key ingredient for correctly modelling the behavior at high microwave powers (pulse area > π/2. We add to this model different position-dependent frequency shifts that arise from external fields, and we identify inhomogeneous light-shifts as the dominant contribution for reproducing the measured clock frequency shifts as a function of microwave power. Other frequency shifts give negligible contributions.

Joint Conference of the European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (EFTF/IFCS)•Apr 1, 2019•2 citations
We derive the general frequency shift of a microwave atomic clock due to resonant dipole forces acting on the atomic wave functions during the Ramsey interactions. We explicitly demonstrate that only dressed-state populations in position space contribute significantly to the frequency shift and that the de Broglie phases of the dressed-state wave functions do not contribute. In addition, we show that momentum changes in the second Ramsey interaction normally produce negligible frequency shifts in comparison to those from the first Ramsey interaction.
The Comment by Jefferts et al. [Phys. Rev. A 91, 067601 (2015)] discusses the microwave-lensing frequency shift's possible dependence on the initial wave-packet size and two effects of wall interactions, the frequency shifts that they produce, and the nature of how dressed states are clipped by apertures. I identify conceptual errors in their criticisms, some of which are related to fundamental problems in their lensing treatment [Ashby et al., Phys. Rev. A 91, 033624 (2015)] for the NIST-F1 and NIST-F2 atomic clocks [K. Gibble, arXiv:1505.00691]. Aside from typesetting errors that they note, the criticisms in the Comment are shown to be incorrect.
The interaction of an atomic beam with four traveling-wave laser beams leads to optically induced Ramsey fringes in the atomic beam. This experimental setup has been used as an optical frequency standard as well as a matter-wave interferometer. We calculate for two-level atoms the shift of the fringes due to the influence of fairly general external forces in lowest order of a perturbation approach. A comparison with the phase shift found in a corresponding WKB treatment of the interaction geometry is made. The consequences of beam reversal and cooling of the atomic beam are studied. As an application, we treat the linear acceleration and rotation of the interferometer and discuss the influence of space-time curvature.
When an atom absorbs a photon from a laser beam that is not an infinite plane wave, the atom's recoil is less than variant Planck's k in the propagation direction. We show that the recoils in the transverse directions produce a lensing of the atomic wave functions, which leads to a frequency shift that is not discrete but varies linearly with the field amplitude and strongly depends on the atomic state detection. The same lensing effect is also important for microwave atomic clocks. The frequency shifts are of the order of the naive recoil shift for the transverse wave vector of the photons.
We report an s-wave collisional frequency shift of an atomic clock based on fermions. In contrast to bosons, the fermion clock shift is insensitive to the population difference of the clock states, set by the first pulse area in Ramsey spectroscopy, θ(1). The fermion shift instead depends strongly on the second pulse area θ(2). It allows the shift to be canceled, nominally at θ(2)=π/2, but correlations perturb the null to slightly larger θ(2). The frequency shift is relevant for optical lattice clocks and increases with the spatial inhomogeneity of the clock excitation field, naturally larger at optical frequencies.
We employ a three-level Bloch vector model to simulate Ramsey fringes of our Rb vapor-cell atomic clock. The residual inhomogeneity of the microwave magnetic field across the buffer-gas cell is a key ingredient for correctly modelling the behavior at high microwave powers (pulse area > π/2. We add to this model different position-dependent frequency shifts that arise from external fields, and we identify inhomogeneous light-shifts as the dominant contribution for reproducing the measured clock frequency shifts as a function of microwave power. Other frequency shifts give negligible contributions.