Using the platform of a trapped-atom clock on a chip, we have generated spin-squeezed states and observed their time evolution on unprecedented timescales, showing that metrological spin squeezing is preserved for one second. We observe up to 8.1(9) dB of metrological squeezing in a cloud of
2times104 ultracold alkali atoms by quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement in a fiber Fabry-Perot microcavity. The experiment also reveals a surprising amplification effect in the final cavity measurement of the spin state. It results from a subtle interplay between the cavity coupling and the spin dynamics originating from cold collisions. Spin dynamics such as these are an important factor in real atomic clocks that previous proof-of-principle squeezing experiments had not been able to address. Our results open up encouraging perspectives for squeezing-enhanced atomic clocks in a metrologically relevant stability regime.
Using the platform of a trapped-atom clock on a chip, we have generated spin-squeezed states with up to 8.1(9) dB of metrological squeezing in a cloud of
2×104 ultracold alkali atoms by quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement in a fiber Fabry-Perot microcavity. Observing the time evolution of the squeezed state on unprecedented timescales of more than one second reveals a surprising measurement amplification effect in the final measurement of the spin state. It results from a subtle interplay between the spin dynamics of interacting indistinguishable particles and energy-dependent cavity coupling and leads to an increased cavity shift per spin, and thus to a higher signal per photon read out. Metrological spin squeezing is preserved for 1 s. Both results open up encouraging perspectives for squeezing-enhanced atomic clocks in a metrologically relevant stability regime.