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Results in Physics

Frequency measurement of 6s6p 3P0,2−6s7s 3S1 transitions in ultracold 171Yb atoms referenced to local optical clock

Hao Qiao, Changyue Sun, Chengquan Peng, Qi-Chao Qi, Chengcheng Zhao, Min Zhou, Xinye Xu

Published Apr 8, 2023• 6 citations

Abstract

We experimentally determine the absolute frequencies and hyperfine splittings of the 6s6p 3P0,2 − 6s7s 3S1 transitions of ultracold 171Yb atoms in an optical lattice. A frequency comb referenced to an ultrastable optical cavity is used to measure the electric-dipole transition frequencies. With the normalized shelving detection technique, about 12 MHz and 10 MHz linewidth of atomic spectra are obtained, respectively, which is some greater than the natural linewidth of 1.5 MHz and 5.9 MHz and is limited by the broadening from the probe and lattice light. By reference to our 171Yb 6 s2 1S0 − 6s6p 3P0 clock, the absolute frequencies are found to be 461861338.03 (0.21) MHz and 461871596.07 (0.31) MHz for the 6s6p 3P0 − 6s7s 3S1 (F = 1/2 and F = 3/2) transitions, which are more accurate than the previous measurement by one order of magnitude. For the 6s6p 3P2 (F = 3/2 and F = 5/2) − 6s7s 3S1 (F = 1/2 and F = 3/2) transitions, the measured frequencies are 389257019.71 (0.65) MHz, 389267277.10 (0.37) MHz and 389260569.95 (0.89) MHz, respectively, which are the first measurements to our knowledge. Furthermore, the hyperfine constants for the 6s6p 3P2 and 6s7s 3S1 states are determined to be 2682.86(0.38) MHz and 6838.69(0.25) MHz, both of which agree well with other recent experimental results.

DOI: 10.1016/j.rinp.2023.106439

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We experimentally determine the absolute frequencies and hyperfine splittings of the 6s6p 3P0,2 − 6s7s 3S1 transitions of ultracold 171Yb atoms in an optical lattice. A frequency comb referenced to an ultrastable optical cavity is used to measure the electric-dipole transition frequencies. With the normalized shelving detection technique, about 12 MHz and 10 MHz linewidth of atomic spectra are obtained, respectively, which is some greater than the natural linewidth of 1.5 MHz and 5.9 MHz and is limited by the broadening from the probe and lattice light. By reference to our 171Yb 6 s2 1S0 − 6s6p 3P0 clock, the absolute frequencies are found to be 461861338.03 (0.21) MHz and 461871596.07 (0.31) MHz for the 6s6p 3P0 − 6s7s 3S1 (F = 1/2 and F = 3/2) transitions, which are more accurate than the previous measurement by one order of magnitude. For the 6s6p 3P2 (F = 3/2 and F = 5/2) − 6s7s 3S1 (F = 1/2 and F = 3/2) transitions, the measured frequencies are 389257019.71 (0.65) MHz, 389267277.10 (0.37) MHz and 389260569.95 (0.89) MHz, respectively, which are the first measurements to our knowledge. Furthermore, the hyperfine constants for the 6s6p 3P2 and 6s7s 3S1 states are determined to be 2682.86(0.38) MHz and 6838.69(0.25) MHz, both of which agree well with other recent experimental results.

We report the direct excitation of the highly forbidden (6s2) 1S0 <--> (6s6p) 3P0 optical transition in two odd isotopes of neutral ytterbium. As the excitation laser frequency is scanned, absorption is detected by monitoring the depletion from an atomic cloud at approximately 70 microK in a magneto-optical trap. The measured frequency in 171Yb (F=1/2) is 518,295,836,591.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. The measured frequency in 173Yb (F=5/2) is 518,294,576,847.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. Measurements are made with a femtosecond-laser frequency comb calibrated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology cesium fountain clock and represent nearly a 10(6)-fold reduction in uncertainty. The natural linewidth of these J=0 to J=0 transitions is calculated to be approximately 10 mHz, making them well suited to support a new generation of optical atomic clocks based on confinement in an optical lattice.

With the aid of an optical frequency divider based on an optical frequency comb, the frequency of a laser at 431 nm is divided from a cavity-stabilized laser at 578 nm. Using the frequency-stabilized 431 nm laser, we observe a 2.5 kHz linewidth 4f146s2 1S0−4f135d6s2 (J = 2) transition of 171Yb atoms trapped in an optical lattice. By measuring the lattice-induced frequency shift, we determine the magic wavelength of the optical lattice for the 431 nm transition to be 797.97(20) nm. The frequency of the 431 nm transition is measured to be 695 171 054 856.9(1.1) kHz by referencing to the 1S0−3P0 transition at 578 nm of Yb atoms.

With ultracold 87Srconfined in a magic wavelength optical lattice, we present the most precise study (2.8 Hz statistical uncertainty) to date of the 1S0-3P0 optical clock transition with a detailed analysis of systematic shifts (19 Hz uncertainty) in the absolute frequency measurement of 429 228 004 229 869 Hz. The high resolution permits an investigation of the optical lattice motional sideband structure. The local oscillator for this optical atomic clock is a stable diode laser with its hertz-level linewidth characterized by an octave-spanning femtosecond frequency comb.

Clock transition at

1.14 \mu \mathrm{m}

in neutral thulium is a promising candidate for compact and robust transportable optical clock due to its extremely low sensitivity to external electric and magnetic fields. Cold Tm atoms are now used in optical lattice clocks, quantum simulators and for the study of Bose-Einstein condensation and cold collision physics. In this work, we discuss experimentally measured absolute frequencies of the two transitions at 410.6 nm and 530.7 nm, used for laser cooling of thulium atoms, transition at 418.8 nm used for optical pumping and clock transition at 1140 nm. Using accurate laser spectroscopy in an ensemble of cold thulium atoms, we measured frequencies of these transitions using an optical frequency comb, which was referenced to an active hydrogen maser. Transition frequencies were measured with an uncertainty at one tenth of their natural linewidth, which is sufficient for cooling and pumping of thulium atoms. The uncertainty of the clock transition frequency is 30 Hz, which was limited by the maser frequency calibration with GNSS. Our results can find application in existing experiments with cold thulium atoms and especially in new projects.