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Trapped Ion Clock on a Chip

Clément Lacroûte

Published Oct 11, 2018• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Optical atomic clocks are the world's most accurate instruments. In this presentation, I will first introduce the general principle of atomic clocks. In a second part I will show how optical clocks are both more stable and more accurate than microwave clocks. In a final part, I will introduce the ongoing trapped ion clock project at FEMTO-ST.

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Optical atomic clocks are the world's most accurate instruments. In this presentation, I will first introduce the general principle of atomic clocks. In a second part I will show how optical clocks are both more stable and more accurate than microwave clocks. In a final part, I will introduce the ongoing trapped ion clock project at FEMTO-ST.
Optical atomic clocks are the world's most accurateinstruments. Even though they are still voluminous instruments, there is a needfor on-field measurements campaigns. I will first give a brief state-of-the-artof optical atomic clocks, and then review existing approaches towards therealization of transportable atomic clocks. Finally, I will introduce thedesign of our prototype surface electrode trap for optical frequency metrology. <!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 21 false false false FR X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Frequency and its inverse, time, are the most accurately measured quantities. Historically, improvements in the accuracy of clocks have enabled advances in navigation, communication, and science. Since 1967, the definition of the International System (SI) second has been based on the frequency of a microwave transition in cesium, and present day cesium atomic clocks have a fractional uncertainty near 10-16. Recently, a new type of atomic clock based on optical transitions has been developed, with a current fractional uncertainty near 10-18 (approximately one second divided by the age of the universe), and they are rapidly improving. This talk presents a brief summary of the development of optical atomic clocks, with a focus on the Al+ quantum-logic clock developed at NIST. We discuss the current state-of-the-art in optical clock performance, and describe new applications in sensing and fundamental physics. Future directions in optical atomic clock research are also considered.
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.
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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.