Observation and absolute frequency measurements of the 1S0 - 3P0 optical clock transition in ytterbium

C. W. Hoyt, Z. W. Barber, C. W. Oates +3

We report the direct excitation of the highly forbidden (6s^2) 1S0 - (6s6p) 3P0 optical transition in two odd isotopes of ytterbium. As the excitation laser frequency is scanned, a…