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Trapped ions for quantum metrology

Elena Jordan, Malte Brinkmann, Alexandre Didier, Erik Jansson, Daniel Bennett, T. E. Mehlstäubler

Published Oct 2, 2020• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Optical clocks enable frequency measurements with a systematicfractionaluncertainty of 10^-18 and lower. These clocks use opticaltransitions ofcold trapped ions in radio-frequency traps or cold ensembles oftrappedneutral atoms as frequency references with long-term stability.There isan increasing demand for commercially available precise clocksfor bigdata, stock exchange, and positioning systems. Further,ultra-precise clockscan be used to test General Relativity, search for new physics,and geodeticmeasurements. Todate, precise clocks are realized mainly inlaboratoryexperiments and require highly trained operators. We aredeveloping chip-basedion traps for portable optical clocks that can be used for field measurements,as well as multi-ion clocks that enable faster precisionmeasurements.In this talk, we will give an update on ion trap technologiesthat willhelp to make the clocks smaller. This includes more compactelectricalconnections and space-saving

DOI
10.1117/12.2583998

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Optical clocks enable frequency measurements with a systematicfractionaluncertainty of 10^-18 and lower. These clocks use opticaltransitions ofcold trapped ions in radio-frequency traps or cold ensembles oftrappedneutral atoms as frequency references with long-term stability.There isan increasing demand for commercially available precise clocksfor bigdata, stock exchange, and positioning systems. Further,ultra-precise clockscan be used to test General Relativity, search for new physics,and geodeticmeasurements. Todate, precise clocks are realized mainly inlaboratoryexperiments and require highly trained operators. We aredeveloping chip-basedion traps for portable optical clocks that can be used for field measurements,as well as multi-ion clocks that enable faster precisionmeasurements.In this talk, we will give an update on ion trap technologiesthat willhelp to make the clocks smaller. This includes more compactelectricalconnections and space-saving
For the past 15 years, tremendous progress within the fields of laser stabilization, optical frequency combs and atom cooling and trapping have allowed the realization of optical atomic clocks with unrivaled performances. These instruments can perform frequency comparisons with fractional uncertainties well below 10-17, finding applications in fundamental physics tests, relativistic geodesy and time and frequency metrology. Even though most optical clocks are currently laboratory setups, several proposals for using these clocks for field measurements or within an optical clock network have been published, and most of time and frequency metrology institutes have started to develop transportable optical clocks. For the purpose of this special issue, we chose to focus on trapped-ion optical clocks. Even though their short-term fractional frequency stability is impaired by a lower signal-to-noise ratio, they offer a high potential for compactness: trapped ions demand low optical powers and simple loading schemes, and can be trapped in small vacuum chambers. We review recent advances on the clock key components, including ion trap and ultra-stable optical cavity, as well as existing projects and experiments which draw the picture of what future transportable, single-ion optical clocks may resemble.
Terrestrial optical atomic clocks based on laser cooled atoms confined in the Lamb-Dicke regime in optical lattice traps or ion traps are the most precise and accurate measurement devices of any kind, and can be used to look for very small deviations from the predictions of the Standard Model that would hint at new physics. In this talk, I will discuss the design trade space for robust, autonomous, low-SWaP optical clocks for space, focusing primarily on trapped-ion clocks due to their lower complexity and laser power requirements. I will discuss the potential of integrated photonics to drastically reduce SWaP and increase robustness, and highlight performance targets for future development. Furthermore, I will discuss quantum metrology algorithms that can be used to alleviate the laser system performance requirements and suppress sensitivity to environmental noise. Finally, I will conclude by discussing the new physics reach of various optical atomic clock space flight mission scenarios.
Measuring physical quantities with unprecedented precision is one of the most important paradigms to extend our fundamental understanding of nature. With the development of new quantum techniques, quantum systems have become a promising platform along the path to pursue higher accuracy and stability of measurement, while the classical methods are approaching their own limitation. Owing to its high stability, long coherence time and good controllability of quantum states, the trapped ion system has attracted much attention as a promising platform for quantum metrology. Recent progress on quantum control of trapped ions in both the scientific and technological aspects greatly advance the potential applications in precision measurement of various physical quantities. The invention of optical comb with ultra-stable laser brings us a new approach to develop a clock working on optical frequency, and features a much higher precision than microwave. This achievement has the potential reform the definition of the basic unit of the international system of units in the near future. New methods of dynamic decoupling or preparing special dressed states significantly extend the coherence time, such that an ultra-sensitive detection of magnetic field can be achieved. By introducing a spin-dependent kick in the phase space, one may also realize rotation measurement with trapped ions and obtain high accuracy with a chip-size apparatus. In this short review, we introduce the principles and designs of optical clock, magnetometer and gyroscope based on trapped ion systems. Owing to its unique features, this platform presents many advantages which can help improving sensitivity and stability, as well as building transportable devices.
Optical atomic clocks based on laser-cooled trapped ions and atoms have advanced rapidly over the past decade. With fractional frequency uncertainties now surpassing 10 −18 , they are some of the most precise measurement tools ever built. Yet researchers are still pursuing new avenues of research to explore the fundamental limits to their stability, accuracy, and reproducibility. In this mini-review, we provide a survey of the current state of the art by describing the fundamental principles and techniques that underpin this progress, the architectures used to realize optical clocks, and the supporting laser technologies that are essential to their operation. We also examine the progress that has been made toward a redefinition of the second in the International System of Units and the inclusion of optical clocks into the global time and frequency metrology infrastructure. Finally, we discuss emerging applications of optical clocks and look at the prospects for making their precision more readily accessible to end users.
In the mid-20th century, atoms were realized to be good candidates for time or frequency standards since transition energies or frequencies between two energy levels of some unperturbed atoms are more stable than those defined by the rotation of the earth or artefact-based clocks such as quartz crystal clocks. This motivated extensive research on realization and improvement of such kind of quantum-based time or frequency standards. The ultra-stable laser, referred to as a local oscillator in a clock, still drifts over time due to environmentally induced length fluctuations of the reference cavity. With the development of ion traps, ultra-narrow linewidth lasers and optical frequency combs, optical clocks based on single trapped ions as a new type of clocks have been realized in many laboratories. Ions can only stay in the trap within a certain region, which is called stability region. There is a variety of potential sources of systematic shifts associated with the clock transition in ion optical clocks.
Transitions between discrete energy levels in well-isolated atomic systems are highly reproducible and therefore make ideal references for highly accurate frequency standards or clocks. In particular, a single laser-cooled ion confined in a radiofrequency ion trap closely approximates the spectroscopic ideal of a particle at rest in a perturbation-free environment. Narrow optical transitions in such systems are therefore very promising for the realization of optical clocks with accuracy around 2 orders of magnitude higher than current microwave primary standards. In this paper the fundamental aspects, current performance and applications of trapped ion optical clocks are reviewed and the potential for future improvements is considered.