arXiv:physics/0501090 · Physical Review A
Three-photon-absorption resonance for all-optical atomic clocks
Sergei A. Zibrov, Irina V. Novikova, David F. Phillips, Aleksei V. Taichenachev, Valeriy I. Yudin, Ronald Lee Walsworth, Alexander S. Zibrov
Abstract
We report an experimental study of an all-optical three-photon-absorption resonance (known as an ``$N$ resonance'') and discuss its potential application as an alternative to atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping. We present measurements of the $N$-resonance contrast, width and light shift for the ${D}_{1}$ line of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ with varying buffer gases, and find good agreement with an analytical model of this resonance. The results suggest that $N$ resonances are promising for atomic clock applications.