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Optoelectronic devices and integration. Conference

New method of wavelength stabilisation in CPT atomic clocks

Sergey M Kobtsev, Daba A. Radnatarov, Sergey Khripunov, Valeriy Andryushkov, Yurii Zarudnev

Published Nov 19, 2019• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a novel way of radiation wavelength stabilisation in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). It uses quadrature-phase component of the CPT signal within the CPT resonance feedback loop and automatic wavelength locking of radiation from a VCSEL to the atomic absorption line. We demonstrate advantages and limitations of the new method applied to vapour cells with buffer gas or anti-relaxation coating. Also provided are measurements of short- and long-term stability of a CPT-based atomic clock using the proposed method with various optical cells. Discussed are the prospects of this method in chip-scale atomic clocks.

DOI
10.1117/12.2537814

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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.
This work presents a study of the short-term stability properties of Rb atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) under dynamic excitation of a CPT resonance in cells without buffer gas. It is demonstrated that in an optical cell with anti-relaxation coating of its inner walls, the best stability is achieved at the scanning frequency of the frequency difference of the bichromatic pump field equal to 2 kHz at the resonance width of 450 Hz. In cells without a wall coating, the optimal scanning frequency range is found to be 1.2–2.8 kHz at the resonance width of 29 kHz. Examination of the slope of the stabilization system’s discriminant curve at zero error signal for buffer-gas-free cells uncovered an amount of correlation between the discriminant curve slope and atomic clock stability. It is demonstrated that the highest stability of atomic clocks in dynamic excitation mode is achieved at a ratio of scanning frequency and amplitude around 1.
The active suppression of light shift of the reference coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance in 87Rb vapor to improve the long-term stability of compact atomic clocks has been demonstrated experimentally. The approach is based on the phase jump technique used to synthesize an error signal, which is proportional to the light shift of the CPT resonance, from an optical transmission signal. The use of this error signal in an additional feedback loop allows one to stabilize the amplitude of a microwave signal for the phase modulation of laser radiation near a value at which the light shift of the CPT resonance is absent. This technique has made it possible to reduce the long-term instability of CPT atomic clocks in our experiments by a factor of 15 at an integration time of 10 000–20 000 s.
The present work for the first time reports on studies of properties of dynamically excited coherent population trapping (CPT) resonances in cells without buffer gas (both with and without anti-relaxation coating of their inner walls). Over the 0−3 kHz range of CPT resonance scanning frequencies, the discriminant curve slope was determined, as well as measured stability of atomic clocks. The work provides details of the experiments and analyses prospects of application of results for improvement of atomic clock stability. The work also discusses the newly discovered different character of CPT resonance shape evolution in cells with and without buffer gas.
The active suppression of light shift of the reference coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance in87Rb vapor to improve the long-term stability of compact atomic clocks has been demonstrated experimentally. The approach is based on the phase jump technique used to synthesize an error signal, which is proportional to the light shift of the CPT resonance, from an optical transmission signal. The use of this error signal in an additional feedback loop allows one to stabilize the amplitude of a microwave signal for the phase modulation of laser radiation near a value at which the light shift of the CPT resonance is absent. This technique has made it possible to reduce the long-term instability of CPT atomic clocks in our experiments by a factor of 15 at an integration time of 10 000–20 000 s.
High-stability and compact clocks are in great demand for many applications, for example, such as global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), broadband communication networks and high-secret lines, smart electricity grids, etc. Many applications of the clocks require small size and weight (V3, m-12per a day). The most promising technology involves approach based on the coherent populations trapping (CPT) phenomenon, because it can combine all the features listed. Here we present the recent progress of development a version of CPT atomic clocks, which involves an antirelaxation-coated cell and the quadrature-signal method for the light shift cancellation.