Related papers: Colloquium: Physics of optical lattice clocks
A theoretical approach was developed for an exact numerical description of a pair of ultracold atoms interacting via a central potential that are trapped in a three-dimensional optical lattice. The coupling of center-of-mass and…
Being able to measure time, whether directly or indirectly, is a significant advantage for an organism. It permits it to predict regular events, and prepare for them on time. Thus, clocks are ubiquitous in biology. In the present paper, we…
We report that entangled pairs of quantum clocks (non-degenerate quantum bits) can be used as a specialized detector for precisely measuring difference of proper-times that each constituent quantum clock experiences. We describe why the…
Creating precise timing devices at ultra-short time scales is not just an important technological challenge, but confronts us with foundational questions about timekeeping's ultimate precision limits. Research on clocks has either focused…
We analyze a method of compressing a cloud of cold atoms by dynamic control of a far off resonance optical lattice. We show that by reducing the lattice spacing either continuously or in discrete steps while cooling the atoms with optical…
We observe a weakly allowed optical transition of atomic ytterbium from the ground state to the metastable state $4f^{13}5d6s^2 \: (J=2)$ for all five bosonic and two fermionic isotopes with resolved Zeeman and hyperfine structures. This…
We present an extended model for the lattice-induced light shifts of the clock frequency in optical lattice clocks, applicable to a wide range of operating conditions. The model extensions cover radial motional states with sufficient…
We investigate the feasibility of precision frequency metrology with large ion crystals. For clock candidates with a negative differential static polarisability, we show that micromotion effects should not impede the performance of the…
We propose a method for separating trapped atoms in optical lattices by large distances. The key idea is the cyclic transfer of atoms between two lattices of variable spacing, known as accordion lattices, each covering at least a factor of…
Experiments involving optical traps often require careful control of the ac Stark shifts induced by strong confining light fields. By carefully balancing light shifts between two atomic states of interest, optical traps at the magic…
The study of ultracold molecules tightly trapped in an optical lattice can expand the frontier of precision measurement and spectroscopy, and provide a deeper insight into molecular and fundamental physics. Here we create, probe, and image…
We investigate an optomechanical system as a model of an autonomous mechanical pendulum clock in the quantum regime, whose operation relies only on incoherent (thermal) resources. The escapement of the clock, the mechanism that translates…
Optical atomic clocks provide exceptionally accurate and precise signals for timekeeping and precision measurements, but they require high-power, free-space laser configurations that limit scalability. We introduce and explore a scalable…
We present a system of two independent strontium optical lattice standards probed with a single shared ultra-narrow laser. The absolute frequency of the clocks can be verified by the use of Er:fiber optical frequency comb with the…
A major obstacle for optical clocks is the frequency shift due to black body radiation. We discuss how one can tackle this problem in an optical lattice clock; in our case 87-Sr: firstly, by a measurement of the dc Stark shift of the clock…
We describe an optical atomic clock based on quantum-logic spectroscopy of the $^1$S$_0$ $\leftrightarrow$ $^3$P$_0$ transition in $^{27}$Al$^{+}$ with a systematic uncertainty of ${9.4 \times 10^{-19}}$ and a frequency stability of…
The frequency stability achieved by an optical atomic clock ultimately depends on the coherence of its local oscillator. Even the best ultrastable lasers only allow interrogation times of a few seconds, at present. Here we present a…
We realize a two-stage, hexagonal pyramid magneto-optical trap (MOT) with strontium, and demonstrate loading of cold atoms into cavity-enhanced 1D and 2D optical lattice traps, all within a single compact assembly of in-vacuum optics. We…
Modern optical atomic clocks along with the optical fiber technology currently being developed can measure the geoid, which is the equipotential surface that extends the mean sea level on continents, to a precision that competes with…
Narrow linewidth optical atomic transitions provide a valuable resource for frequency metrology, and form the basis of today's most precise and accurate clocks. Recent experiments have demonstrated that ensembles of atoms can be interfaced…