Tailoring the Stability of a Two-Color, Two-Photon Rubidium Frequency Standard

Rubidium two-photon frequency standards are emerging as powerful contenders for compact, durable devices with exceptional stability. The field has focused on single-color excitation to date. Here we demonstrate the key advantages of a two-color excitation of a two-photon optical frequency standard based on the $5S_{1/2}\,{\rightarrow}\,5D_{5/2}$ transition of rubidium-87 utilising driving fields at 780 nm and 776 nm. We show that utilising the $5P_{3/2}$ intermediate state to resonantly enhance the transition, we can for the first time attain frequency stabilities comparable to the rubidium single-color two-photon frequency standards, notably with approximately ten-fold less optical power and ten-fold lower rubidium vapor density. Optimisation of the detuning from the $5P_{3/2}$ intermediate state, and optical powers of driving lasers, has a dramatic effect on the frequency stability, achieving the best short-term stability of any two-photon rubidium frequency standard to date, of $6{\times}10^{-14}$ at $\tau$ = 1 s. We demonstrate this level of performance is compatible with a compact geometry, by fully self-referencing the frequency standard using an integrated fiber frequency comb to simultaneously stabilize the 780 nm laser's detuning from the $5P_{3/2}$ intermediate state, and produce a frequency-stable microwave output. A comprehensive noise characterization underpins our observations of this two-color frequency standard which explains the measured stability, showing this frequency standard is shot-noise limited initially before becoming limited by light shifts in the long-term. This work represents a major advance towards a low size, weight, and power frequency standard based on this two-color excitation method.