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

Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Noise reduction by a single photodiode in coherent population trapping atomic clocks

Ruiyuan Liu, Cong Wang, Ping Guo, Yi Jiang, Jianye Zhao

Published Nov 7, 2018• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We present a digital differential detection scheme using a single photodiode to suppress the diode laser frequency noise and improve the short-term stability in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance. One laser light is divided into two beams via modulation of an acousto-optic modulator. One beam induces CPT resonance with circularly polarized light, and the other beam induces only absorption with linearly polarized light. A differential algorithm counteracts common-mode noise from the two beams. A stability of 6.86×10−12 at 100 s and 2.26×10−12 at 1000 s has been demonstrated. The short-term stability is improved by a factor of 2.4 at 100 s. The scheme promises to eliminate laser-related noise and explore potential applications in chip-scale atomic clocks.

DOI
10.1364/josab.35.002952

Related papers

Laser Noise Cancellation in Single-Cell CPT Clocks

Vladislav P. Gerginov, Svenja A. Knappe, Vishal Shah +2 more

We demonstrate a new technique for the suppression of noise associated with the laser source in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). The technique uses differential detection of the transmission of linearly and circularly polarized beams that propagate through different parts of a single rubidium vapor cell filled with a buffer gas mixture. The common-mode noise associated with the laser frequency and amplitude noise is suppressed by the differential detection of the two laser beams. The CPT signal, which is present only in the circularly polarized laser beam, is unaffected. The implementation of the technique requires only a change of the polarization of part of the laser beam and an additional photodiode. The technique is simple and applicable to CPT frequency references where a major source of noise is the laser, such as compact and chip-scale devices.

IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement•May 29, 2008•20 citations

Reduction of optical field noise by differential detection in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping

Vladislav P. Gerginov, Svenja A. Knappe, Vishal Shah +2 more

We present preliminary results showing that some noise sources in vapor cell atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) can be suppressed with differential detection. The scheme we propose differs from more conventional differential detection in that both optical fields pass through the alkali vapor cell but have different polarizations, one circular and one linear. Because CPT resonances are only excited by the circularly polarized beam, the linearly polarized beam can be used to reduce several important sources of noise. With this technique, we demonstrate reduction of the short-term frequency instability of a CPT atomic frequency reference by a factor of about 1.5.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Mar 2, 2007•1 citation

Coherent population trapping resonance scheme of simultaneously noise suppression and multiple constructive interferences

Suping Qu, Yi Yin, Xianyang Lu

Traditional coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clocks use single circularly polarized coherent multichromatic light to interact with atoms for preparing CPT dark states. While this configuration is simple, it suffers from the trap states and involves only the ±1st-order sidebands in the CPT resonance, excluding the carrier and other sidebands. This results in a lower CPT signal amplitude and higher laser noise, limiting the frequency stability of CPT atomic clocks. To address this issue, we developed and experimentally validated a scheme utilizing left- and right-circularly polarized light based on multiple coherent superpositions. This scheme significantly enhances the amplitude of the CPT resonance. Furthermore, by incorporating a Michelson interferometer, the polarization direction of the ±1st-order sidebands in the coherent multichromatic light is adjusted from parallel to perpendicular, enabling the filtering of one sideband to be detected while eliminating other unwanted sidebands and effectively suppressing laser noise. The results show that, under identical conditions, the short-term frequency stability of this method is theoretically improved by a factor of seven compared to the traditional circularly polarized light scheme, providing an effective pathway for the development of high-performance CPT atomic clocks.

Review of Scientific Instruments•Jun 1, 2026•0 citations

Differential detection scheme for compact CPT atomic clocks

Huifang Lin, Yuan Tian, Bozhong Tan +1 more

A scheme is investigated for a coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clock, wherein the polarization of a beam produced by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is converted to an elliptically polarized beam that interacts with alkali atoms, where the CPT signal is extracted by differentially detecting the magneto-optically rotated light within the transmitted beam. The scheme eliminates the spin-polarized trap state of the atoms and the unwanted background signal, and suppresses in the CPT signal the noise converted from the laser noise. This result reveals the promise of this scheme for realizing a compact CPT atomic clock possessing a significantly improved frequency stability compared to current compact CPT atomic clock devices, coupled with similar power consumption, volume, and cost therewith.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Jul 1, 2017•11 citations

Noise suppression in coherent population-trapping atomic clock by differential magneto-optic rotation detection

Bozhong Tan, Yuan Tian, Huifang Lin +2 more

We propose and investigate a scheme for differential detection of the magneto-optic rotation (MOR) effect, where a linearly polarized bichromatic laser field is coherent population-trapping (CPT)-resonant with alkali atoms, and discuss the application of this effect to CPT-based atomic clocks. The results of our study indicate that laser noise in a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser-based CPT atomic clock can be effectively suppressed by the proposed scheme. The proposed scheme promises to realize a packaged MOR-CPT atomic clock that has significantly better frequency stability coupled with similar power consumption, volume, and cost when compared with currently available packaged CPT atomic clocks.

Optics Letters•Jul 30, 2015•31 citations

Stabilization method for atomic clocks to detect the maximum coherent-population-trapping resonance signal

Yusuke Odagiri, Satoshi Hatano, Yuichiro Yano +3 more

Abstract Chip-scale atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) face challenges due to miniaturized gas cells, which reduces the CPT resonance signal and the absorption signals of alkali atoms. To overcome this, we propose a method that simultaneously stabilizes the laser wavelength and microwave modulation frequency without relying on absorption line detection. Our approach enables stabilization at the point where the amplitude of the CPT resonance signal is maximized, making it suitable for compact atomic clocks. The system uses three lock-in amplifiers: one is used to stabilize the RF modulation frequency, and the other two are used for detecting the amplitude of the CPT resonance and stabilizing the laser wavelength. The Allan deviation measurements demonstrate a 1.4-fold improvement in short-term stability compared to conventional methods, suggesting that the proposed technique is a promising solution for enhancing the performance of small gas-cell atomic clocks.

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics•Jun 1, 2025•2 citations
We present a digital differential detection scheme using a single photodiode to suppress the diode laser frequency noise and improve the short-term stability in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance. One laser light is divided into two beams via modulation of an acousto-optic modulator. One beam induces CPT resonance with circularly polarized light, and the other beam induces only absorption with linearly polarized light. A differential algorithm counteracts common-mode noise from the two beams. A stability of 6.86×10−12 at 100 s and 2.26×10−12 at 1000 s has been demonstrated. The short-term stability is improved by a factor of 2.4 at 100 s. The scheme promises to eliminate laser-related noise and explore potential applications in chip-scale atomic clocks.
We demonstrate a new technique for the suppression of noise associated with the laser source in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). The technique uses differential detection of the transmission of linearly and circularly polarized beams that propagate through different parts of a single rubidium vapor cell filled with a buffer gas mixture. The common-mode noise associated with the laser frequency and amplitude noise is suppressed by the differential detection of the two laser beams. The CPT signal, which is present only in the circularly polarized laser beam, is unaffected. The implementation of the technique requires only a change of the polarization of part of the laser beam and an additional photodiode. The technique is simple and applicable to CPT frequency references where a major source of noise is the laser, such as compact and chip-scale devices.
We present preliminary results showing that some noise sources in vapor cell atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) can be suppressed with differential detection. The scheme we propose differs from more conventional differential detection in that both optical fields pass through the alkali vapor cell but have different polarizations, one circular and one linear. Because CPT resonances are only excited by the circularly polarized beam, the linearly polarized beam can be used to reduce several important sources of noise. With this technique, we demonstrate reduction of the short-term frequency instability of a CPT atomic frequency reference by a factor of about 1.5.
Traditional coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clocks use single circularly polarized coherent multichromatic light to interact with atoms for preparing CPT dark states. While this configuration is simple, it suffers from the trap states and involves only the ±1st-order sidebands in the CPT resonance, excluding the carrier and other sidebands. This results in a lower CPT signal amplitude and higher laser noise, limiting the frequency stability of CPT atomic clocks. To address this issue, we developed and experimentally validated a scheme utilizing left- and right-circularly polarized light based on multiple coherent superpositions. This scheme significantly enhances the amplitude of the CPT resonance. Furthermore, by incorporating a Michelson interferometer, the polarization direction of the ±1st-order sidebands in the coherent multichromatic light is adjusted from parallel to perpendicular, enabling the filtering of one sideband to be detected while eliminating other unwanted sidebands and effectively suppressing laser noise. The results show that, under identical conditions, the short-term frequency stability of this method is theoretically improved by a factor of seven compared to the traditional circularly polarized light scheme, providing an effective pathway for the development of high-performance CPT atomic clocks.
A scheme is investigated for a coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clock, wherein the polarization of a beam produced by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is converted to an elliptically polarized beam that interacts with alkali atoms, where the CPT signal is extracted by differentially detecting the magneto-optically rotated light within the transmitted beam. The scheme eliminates the spin-polarized trap state of the atoms and the unwanted background signal, and suppresses in the CPT signal the noise converted from the laser noise. This result reveals the promise of this scheme for realizing a compact CPT atomic clock possessing a significantly improved frequency stability compared to current compact CPT atomic clock devices, coupled with similar power consumption, volume, and cost therewith.
We propose and investigate a scheme for differential detection of the magneto-optic rotation (MOR) effect, where a linearly polarized bichromatic laser field is coherent population-trapping (CPT)-resonant with alkali atoms, and discuss the application of this effect to CPT-based atomic clocks. The results of our study indicate that laser noise in a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser-based CPT atomic clock can be effectively suppressed by the proposed scheme. The proposed scheme promises to realize a packaged MOR-CPT atomic clock that has significantly better frequency stability coupled with similar power consumption, volume, and cost when compared with currently available packaged CPT atomic clocks.
Abstract Chip-scale atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) face challenges due to miniaturized gas cells, which reduces the CPT resonance signal and the absorption signals of alkali atoms. To overcome this, we propose a method that simultaneously stabilizes the laser wavelength and microwave modulation frequency without relying on absorption line detection. Our approach enables stabilization at the point where the amplitude of the CPT resonance signal is maximized, making it suitable for compact atomic clocks. The system uses three lock-in amplifiers: one is used to stabilize the RF modulation frequency, and the other two are used for detecting the amplitude of the CPT resonance and stabilizing the laser wavelength. The Allan deviation measurements demonstrate a 1.4-fold improvement in short-term stability compared to conventional methods, suggesting that the proposed technique is a promising solution for enhancing the performance of small gas-cell atomic clocks.