English

Cancellation of the collisional frequency shift in caesium fountain clocks

Atomic Physics 2009-11-13 v1

Abstract

We have observed that the collisional frequency shift in primary caesium fountain clocks varies with the clock state population composition and, in particular, is zero for a given fraction of the |F = 4, mF = 0> atoms, depending on the initial cloud parameters. We present a theoretical model explaining our observations. The possibility of the collisional shift cancellation implies an improvement in the performance of caesium fountain standards and a simplification in their operation. Our results also have implications for test operation of fountains at multiple pi/2 pulse areas.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.physics/0612110,
  title  = {Cancellation of the collisional frequency shift in caesium fountain clocks},
  author = {K. Szymaniec and W. Chalupczak and E. Tiesinga and C. J. Williams and S. Weyers and R. Wynands},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0612110},
  year   = {2009}
}