Juggling Atoms

Chad Fertig, J.I. Rees, Kurt Gibble

We demonstrate a new atomic state detection scheme that directly measures the population difference of the two clock states using FM absorption spectroscopy. We also demonstrate a juggling Rb fountain clock that we will use to study collisions of juggled balls of atoms. Juggling can significantly improve the clocks short-term stability without requiring greater signal-to-noise or a larger cold collision frequency shift.

Oskar J. Painter

Anonymous

Chad Fertig, Ronald Legere, W. Suptitz +1 more

The authors present a preliminary measurement of the cold collision shift for /sup 87/Rb where they found the shift to be more than a factor of 10 smaller than that of a laser-cooled Cs clock. They also discuss calculations for /sup 85/Rb and demonstrate a juggling fountain. Juggling fountain clocks can achieve higher stability without requiring large improvements in the local oscillator. In this first Cs juggling experiment, the effects of collisions between juggled balls of atoms are studied.

Ronald Legere, Kurt Gibble

Summary form only given. We juggle atoms in an atomic fountain by launching two balls of laser-cooled Cs atoms in rapid succession. The two balls collide near the top of the fountain trajectory, and we detect the velocity of the scattered atoms, giving information on the differential scattering cross section.

Otto Robert Frisch