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Journal of Physics Conference Series

An optical frequency standard based on ultracold magnesium atoms

Andrei Goncharov, A E Bonert, Denis V. Brazhnikov, Прудников Олег Николаевич, M A Tropnikov, Sergey Kuznetsov, A. V. Taǐchenachev, Sergei N Bagayev

Published Jan 1, 2017• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper presents the recent experimental results on development of an optical frequency standard based on ultra cold magnesium atoms with relative frequency uncertainty and long term stability at the level of Δ v/v <10 −16 . We stabilized the frequency of our clock laser system at 655 THz to narrow Ramsey fringes in a time separated laser fields interacting with cooled Mg atoms localized in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The intercombination line 1 S 0 → 3 P 1 was used as the reference for frequency stabilization. The results of stabilization were studied with femtosecond comb based on Ti:Sa laser.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/793/1/012008

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European Frequency and Time Forum•Jan 1, 2004•0 citations
This paper presents the recent experimental results on development of an optical frequency standard based on ultra cold magnesium atoms with relative frequency uncertainty and long term stability at the level of Δ v/v <10 −16 . We stabilized the frequency of our clock laser system at 655 THz to narrow Ramsey fringes in a time separated laser fields interacting with cooled Mg atoms localized in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The intercombination line 1 S 0 → 3 P 1 was used as the reference for frequency stabilization. The results of stabilization were studied with femtosecond comb based on Ti:Sa laser.
Abstract The results of theoretical and experimental studies aimed at the creation of matter wave interferometers with Mg atoms are presented. Atom-optical interferometers based on the Ramsey-Bordé scheme are of great interest for the development of optical frequency standards. Ultracold Mg atoms are promising for the development of an optical frequency standard with relative uncertainty and long-term frequency instability at a level of 10−17 − 10−18. A long-term frequency stability of 3·10−15 is obtained at an averaging time τ = 103 s while stabilizing the frequency of a ‘clock’ laser at 457 nm (1 S 0 → 3 P 1 transition) to narrow Ramsey-Bordé resonances of Mg atoms cooled and localized in a magneto-optical trap. The measured frequency stability is determined by the stability of the measurement system based on an optical frequency comb stabilized to the optical frequency of a Yb:YAG/I2 standard. We also present the results of theoretical studies aimed at the use of Mg atom interferometers based on Bragg diffraction for quantum sensing.
We report the results of experimental investigations aimed at creation of the optical frequency standard based on magnesium atoms cooled and localised in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). An experimentally realised MOT for magnesium made it possible to obtain a cloud comprising atoms at a temperature of . The results of ultra-high resolution spectroscopy of intercombination transition for Mg atom are presented, the resonances in time-domain separated optical fields with the half-width of are recorded, which corresponds to the -factor of the reference line .
We report on progress of generating ultracold atoms of magnesium. Magnesium belongs to the few elements suited for a neutral atom optical frequency standard. Its unique properties such as a very low black body radiation shift, the occurrence of fermionic and bosonic isotopes of suitable abundance, and the existence of a magic wavelength make it a very attractive candidate for future optical clocks. With our experiment, we determined for the first time the absolute frequency of the intercombination transition 31S0? 33P1of24Mg with a Ramsey-Bord Enterferometer, which was linked to a primary Cs Frequency standard of the PTB via a fiber femtosecond laser. Cooling ensembles of magnesium in the non-magnetic ground state to microkelvins is difficult as standard sub-Doppler cooling schemes are not applicable. We investigate novel methods to lower the temperatures of magnesium atoms. One promising method is based on a coherent two photon-process which provides higher velocity selectivity. Alternatively, standard sub-Doppler cooling schemes are applicable to the long-lived excited state, which in addition can be confined in magnetic traps. Article not available.
We report on our progress toward the realization of an optical frequency standard referenced to strontium intercombination lines. While first frequency measurement of the weakly allowed 1S 0- 3P 1 transition was done with saturation spectroscopy on a thermal beam, we are preparing the experimental setup for high resolution spectroscopy on ultracold atoms of the doubly forbidden 1S 0- 3P 0 line. Our current setup allows the capture more than 10 7 atoms at 1 μK in 500 ms in two stages of magneto-optical trapping. We also demonstrated the dipole trapping of ultracold strontium isotopes for accurate spectroscopy and collisional measurements. A semiconductor laser source at 698 nm has already been locked to a pre-stabilization cavity obtaining a fast linewidth of less than 1 kHz. Second stage stabilization of the clock laser to ultra-high finesse cavity is in development. Recent measurement of elastic and inelastic cross-sections of the two most abundant 88Sr and 86Sr isotopes are also presented.
We have characterized the 24Mg optical frequency standard at the Institute of Quantum Optics (IQ), Hanover, using a clock laser at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig, via a noise compensated 73 km fiber link and present preliminary results for the stability of the Mg standard. The stability of the clock laser (λ = 657 nm) is transferred with a femtosecond frequency comb to a telecommunication laser at λ = 1542 nm. The signal is then transmitted from PTB through the fiber link to IQ. A second comb at IQ (the remote end) is used to compare the transmitted laser frequency with that of the Mg clock laser λ = 914 nm. The frequency ratio of the clock lasers νMg/νCa shows a relative instability < 10-14 at 1 s. The upper limit for the contribution of the fiber link to the frequency instability is measured by connecting another optical fiber following the same 73 km route at Hanover computer center. The comparison performed at PTB between the local and the transmitted signal after a round trip length of 146 km showed a relative uncertainty below 1 x 10-19 and a short term instability σy(τ)= 3.3 x 10-15 / (τ/s).
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.