Ultra-stable optical clock with two cold-atom ensembles

Abstract

Atomic clocks based on optical transitions are the most stable, and therefore precise, timekeepers available. These clocks operate by alternating intervals of atomic interrogation with dead time required for quantum state preparation and readout. This non-continuous interrogation of the atom system results in the Dick effect, an aliasing of frequency noise of the laser interrogating the atomic transition. Despite recent advances in optical clock stability achieved by improving laser coherence, the Dick effect has continually limited optical clock performance. Here we implement a robust solution to overcome this limitation: a zero-dead-time optical clock based on the interleaved interrogation of two cold-atom ensembles. This clock exhibits vanishingly small Dick noise, thereby achieving an unprecedented fractional frequency instability of $6\times 10^{-17}/\sqrt{\tau }$ for an averaging time $\tau$ in seconds. We also consider alternate dual-atom-ensemble schemes to extend laser coherence and reduce the standard quantum limit of clock stability, achieving a spectroscopy line quality factor $Q>4\times 10^{15}$.

References in corpus (22)

• An atomic clock with $10^{-18}$ instability
• Systematic evaluation of an atomic clock at 2e-18 total uncertainty
• A sub-40 mHz linewidth laser based on a silicon single-crystal optical cavity
• Implementation of Cavity Squeezing of a Collective Atomic Spin
• Hunting for topological dark matter with atomic clocks
• Making optical atomic clocks more stable with $10^{-16}$ level laser stabilization
• A clock network for geodesy and fundamental science
• Quantum State Engineering and Precision Metrology using State-Insensitive Light Traps
• Searching for dilaton dark matter with atomic clocks
• 8E-17 fractional laser frequency instability with a long room-temperature cavity
• Titania-doped tantala/silica coatings for gravitational-wave detection
• Frequency ratio of Yb and Sr clocks with $5\times 10^{-17}$ uncertainty at 150 s averaging time
• Non-destructive measurement of the transition probability in a Sr optical lattice clock
• A transportable strontium optical lattice clock
• Noise and instability of an optical lattice clock
• Efficient atomic clocks operated with several atomic ensembles
• Delivering pulsed and phase stable light to atoms of an optical clock
• Minimizing the Dick Effect in an Optical Lattice Clock
• Atomic clocks as a tool to monitor vertical surface motion
• Stability enhancement by joint phase measurements in a single cold atomic fountain
• Ultrastable Optical Clock with Neutral Atoms in an Engineered Light Shift Trap
• Tenfold reduction of Brownian noise in optical interferometry

Cited by in corpus (146)

• Atomic clock performance beyond the geodetic limit
• An ${}^{27}$Al${}^{+}$ quantum-logic clock with systematic uncertainty below $10^{-18}$
• 1.5 $\mu$m lasers with sub 10 mHz linewidth
• Geodesy and metrology with a transportable optical clock
• Optical clock intercomparison with $6\times 10^{-19}$ precision in one hour
• A Fermi-degenerate three-dimensional optical lattice clock
• Entanglement-Enhanced Optical Atomic Clock
• Atomic Clocks for Geodesy
• A transportable optical lattice clock with $7\times 10^{-17}$ uncertainty
• Test of special relativity using a fiber network of optical clocks
• Alkaline earth atoms in optical tweezers
• Microscopic control and detection of ultracold strontium in optical-tweezer arrays
• Optimal metrology with programmable quantum sensors
• Seconds-scale coherence in a tweezer-array optical clock
• Imaging optical frequencies with 100 $\mu$Hz precision and 1.1 $\mu$m resolution
• Coherent Optical Clock Down-Conversion for Microwave Frequencies with 10-18 Instability
• Search for light scalar dark matter with atomic gravitational wave detectors
• First observation with global network of optical atomic clocks aimed for a dark matter detection
• High precision differential clock comparisons with a multiplexed optical lattice clock
• 2000-times repeated imaging of strontium atoms in clock-magic tweezer arrays
• A high-performance optical lattice clock based on bosonic atoms
• Roadmap towards the redefinition of the second
• 113 km Free-Space Time-Frequency Dissemination at the 19th Decimal Instability
• An atomic array optical clock with single-atom readout
• Frequency measurements of superradiance from the strontium clock transition
• Inner-shell clock transition in atomic thulium with small BBR shift
• Quantum Variational Optimization of Ramsey Interferometry and Atomic Clocks
• Hyperpolarizability and operational magic wavelength in an optical lattice clock
• Entanglement-enhanced quantum metrology: from standard quantum limit to Heisenberg limit
• Two clock transitions in neutral Yb for the highest sensitivity to variations of the fine-structure constant
• Mid-band gravitational wave detection with precision atomic sensors
• Demonstration of a time scale based on a stable optical carrier
• Comparing optical oscillators across the air to milliradians in phase and $10^{-17}$ in frequency
• SpaceQ -- Direct Detection of Ultralight Dark Matter with Space Quantum Sensors
• Thermodynamics of a deeply degenerate SU($N$)-symmetric Fermi gas
• A small weak scale from a small cosmological constant
• Improving cold-atom sensors with quantum entanglement: Prospects and challenges
• Heisenberg-limited noisy atomic clock using a hybrid coherent and squeezed states protocol
• Generalized King linearity and new physics searches with isotope shifts
• Lattice-induced photon scattering in an optical lattice clock
• Generalized auto-balanced Ramsey spectroscopy of clock transitions
• Towards a Transportable Aluminium Ion Quantum Logic Optical Clock
• A compact, thermal noise limited reference cavity for ultra-low noise microwave generation
• Prospects and challenges for squeezing-enhanced optical atomic clocks
• The ${}^{229}$Th isomer: prospects for a nuclear optical clock
• Invited Review: Micro-fabricated components for cold atom sensors
• Engineering Quantum States of Matter for Atomic Clocks in Shallow Optical Lattices
• Optical-Clock-Based Time Scale
• Optical frequency ratio of a ${}^{171}{\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ single-ion clock and a ${}^{87}\mathrm{Sr}$ lattice clock
• A noise-immune cavity-assisted non-destructive detection for an optical lattice clock in the quantum regime
• The unit of time: present and future directions
• Dicke superradiance in ordered arrays of multilevel atoms
• Optical Atomic Clock aboard an Earth-orbiting Space Station (OACESS): Enhancing searches for physics beyond the standard model in space
• Continuous guided strontium beam with high phase-space density
• Lifetime-Limited Interrogation of Two Independent ${}^{27}{\text{Al}}^{+}$ Clocks Using Correlation Spectroscopy
• Single-ion, transportable optical atomic clocks
• Cavity-QED determination of the natural linewidth of the ${}^{87}$Sr millihertz clock transition with 30$\mu$Hz resolution
• Ramsey Spectroscopy with Displaced Frequency Jumps
• Absolute frequency measurement of the 171Yb optical lattice clock at KRISS using TAI for over a year
• Interaction Control of Ultracold Alkaline-Earth Atoms
• A terahertz vibrational molecular clock with systematic uncertainty at the $10^{-14}$ level
• Impact of Non-Unitary Spin Squeezing on Atomic Clock Performance
• Enhanced observation time of magneto-optical traps using micro-machined non-evaporable getter pumps
• Studying fundamental limit of optical fiber links to $10^{-21}$ level
• Multi-site Integrated Optical Addressing of Trapped Ions
• Entanglement-Enhanced Optical Atomic Clocks
• A transportable interrogation laser system with an instability of $\mathrm{mod}{\sigma }_{\mathrm{y}}=3\times 10^{-16}$
• Advanced light-shift compensation protocol in a continuous-wave microcell atomic clock
• Absolute frequency measurement of the ${}^2$S${}_{1/2}{\to }^2$F${}_{7/2}$ optical clock transition in ${}^{171}$Yb${}^{+}$ with an uncertainty of $4\times 10^{-16}$ using a frequency link to International Atomic Time
• Multipolar polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities in the Sr optical lattice clock
• Extracting dark matter signatures from atomic clock stability measurements
• Robust optical clock transitions in trapped ions
• 10 GHz Generation with Ultra-Low Phase Noise via the Transfer Oscillator Technique
• Chronometric geodesy: methods and applications
• Reduction of light shifts in Ramsey spectroscopy with a combined error signal
• Uncertainty evaluation of an ${}^{171}$Yb optical lattice clock at NMIJ
• Combined error signal in Ramsey spectroscopy of clock transitions
• Entanglement-enhanced magnetic induction tomography
• A mid-infrared magneto-optical trap of metastable strontium for an optical lattice clock
• Hyperfine constants and line separations for the ${}^1{S}_0-{}^3{P}_1$ intercombination line in neutral ytterbium with sub-Doppler resolution
• A high-flux, adjustable, compact cold-atom source
• Light-induced atomic desorption of lithium
• A low repetition rate optical frequency comb
• Dipole-dipole frequency shifts in multilevel atoms
• Quadruply Ionized Barium as a Candidate for a High-Accuracy Optical Clock
• A New Clock Transition with the Highest Sensitivity to $\alpha$ Variation and Simultaneous Magic Trapping Conditions with Other Clock Transitions in Yb
• Universal ultra-robust interrogation protocol with zero probe-field-induced frequency shift for quantum clocks and high-accuracy spectroscopy
• Double-heterodyne probing for ultra-stable laser based on spectral hole burning in a rare-earth doped crystal
• Multi-node optical frequency dissemination with post automatic phase correction
• Mass Defect Effects in Atomic Clocks
• Residual Phase Noise Measurement of Optical Second Harmonic Generation in PPLN Waveguides
• Relativistic tidal effects on clock-comparison experiments
• Modeling motional energy spectra and lattice light shifts in optical lattice clocks
• Frequency measurement of the ${}^1{\mathrm{S}}_0,F=5/2\leftrightarrow {}^3{\mathrm{P}}_1,F=7/2$ transition of ${}^{27}$Al${}^{+}$ via quantum logic spectroscopy with ${}^{40}$Ca${}^{+}$
• Improving Short-Term Stability in Optical Lattice Clocks by Quantum Nondemolition Measurements
• Active Frequency Measurement on Superradiant Strontium Clock Transitions
• Optically loaded Strontium lattice clock with a single multi-wavelength reference cavity
• Passive Optical Phase Stabilization on a Ring Fiber Network
• A steady-state magneto-optical trap of fermionic strontium on a narrow-line transition
• Thermalization processes induced by quantum monitoring in multi-level systems
• GHZ protocols enhance frequency metrology despite spontaneous decay
• Test of Einstein Equivalence Principle by frequency comparisons of optical clocks
• Improved absolute clock stability by the joint interrogation of two atomic states
• Ultimate stability of active optical frequency standards
• Absolute frequency measurements of the ${}^1{\mathrm{S}}_0\to {}^1{\mathrm{P}}_1$ transition in ytterbium
• 300 μs optical cavity storage time and $10^{-7}$ active RAM cancellation for $10^{-19}$ laser frequency stabilisation
• Phase-stabilized UV light at 267 nm through twofold second harmonic generation
• Phase noise cancellation in polarisation-maintaining fibre links
• Coherent control over the high-dimensional space of the nuclear spin of alkaline-earth atoms
• Toward a quantum-enhanced strontium optical lattice clock at INRIM
• Exact nonequilibrium quantum observable statistics: A large-deviation approach
• Gravitational clock compass in General Relativity
• Potential and scientific requirements of optical clock networks for validating satellite gravity missions
• Ratchet Loading and Multi-Ensemble Operation in an Optical Lattice Clock
• Pumping Dynamics of Cold-Atom Experiments in a Single Vacuum Chamber
• Enhancing precision of atomic clocks by tuning disorder in accessories
• Demonstration of Real-Time Precision Optical Time Synchronization in a True Three-Node Architecture
• Towards Adoption of an Optical Second: Verifying Optical Clocks at the SI Limit
• Magic density in a self-rephasing ensemble of trapped ultracold atoms
• Direct Phase Locking of a Ti:Sapphire Optical Frequency Comb to a Remote Optical Frequency Standard
• Entanglement-enhanced Synchronous differential comparison
• Probe field ellipticity-induced shift in an atomic clock
• Cold Atoms in Space: Community Workshop Summary and Proposed Road-Map
• Temperature-dependent mechanical losses of Eu${}^{3+}$:Y${}_2$SiO${}_5$ for spectral hole burning laser stabilization
• Coupling atoms to cavities with narrow linewidth optical transitions: Applications to frequency metrology
• Quantum Sensing Using Atomic Clocks for Nuclear and Particle Physics
• Collinear Three-Photon Excitation of a Strongly Forbidden Optical Clock Transition
• Gravitational clock compass and the detection of gravitational waves
• Photoionization cross sections of ultracold ${}^{88}$Sr in ${}^1$P${}_1$ and ${}^3$S${}_1$ states at 390 nm and the resulting blue-detuned magic wavelength optical lattice clock constraints
• Superradiant active optical atomic clocks: motivations and current challenges
• Robust optical frequency transfer in a noisy urban fiber network
• Sensing microscopic noise events by frequent quantum measurements
• Nuclear spin quenching of the ${}^2{S}_{1/2}\to {}^2{F}_{7/2}$ electric octupole transition in ${}^{173}$Yb${}^{+}$
• Asymmetric Field Photovoltaic Effect of Neutral Atoms
• Bayesian Frequency Metrology with Optimal Ramsey Interferometry in Optical Atomic Clocks
• International Optical Clock Comparison Using the European Optical Fiber Network
• From ultra-noisy to ultra-stable: optimization of the optoelectronic laser lock
• Sub-Doppler cooling of bosonic strontium in a two-color MOT
• Extraordinary low systematic frequency shifts in bi-colour thulium optical clock
• Laser fractional frequency instability at $4\times 10^{-17}$ with a room temperature optical reference cavity
• Offset sideband locking to iodine for laser cooling on the ${}^1{\mathrm{S}}_0\to {}^3{\mathrm{P}}_1$ transition of ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$
• Does light from steady sources bear any observable imprint of the dispersive intergalactic medium?
• Exact quantification of bipartite entanglement in unresolvable spin ensembles
• Three-dimensional cooling of an atom beam source for high-contrast atom interferometry
• Dynamic decoupling of laser phase noise in compound atomic clocks
• Enhanced timing of a 113 km O-TWTFT link with digital maximum likelihood estimation process