Related papers: Atomic clock with nuclear transition: current stat…
Entangled states hold the promise of improving the precision and accuracy of quantum sensors. We experimentally demonstrate that spectroscopy of an optical clock transition using entangled states can outperform its classical counterpart.…
We present measurements on a metastable state in $\mathrm{Th}^{2+}$ with the electronic configuration $6d^2\,{}^3P_0\,(5090\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}})$. This is motivated by the prospect of using the state in laser excitation of the low-energy…
The $^{45}$Sc nuclear transition from the ground to the isomeric state at 12.389~keV, with a lifetime of 0.46~s, exhibits an extraordinarily narrow natural width of 1.4~feV and a quality factor $\simeq 10^{19}$ -- surpassing those of the…
An inner-shell orbital clock transition $^1S_0 \leftrightarrow 4f^{13}5d6s^2 \: (J=2)$ in neutral ytterbium atoms has attracted much attention as a new optical frequency standard as well as a highly sensitive probe for several new physics…
This dissertation reports on the development of a low-power, high-stability miniature atomic frequency standard based on 171Yb+ ions. The ions are buffer-gas cooled and held in a linear quadrupole trap that is integrated into a sealed,…
Iridium ions near $4f$-$5s$ level crossings are the leading candidates for a new type of atomic clocks with a high projected accuracy and a very high sensitivity to the temporal variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. To identify…
The comparison of different atomic transition frequencies over time can be used to determine the present value of the temporal derivative of the fine structure constant alpha in a model-independent way without assumptions on constancy or…
We have developed a broadly-applicable approach that drastically increases the ability to accurately predict properties of complex atoms. We applied it to the case of Ir$^{17+}$, which is of particular interest for the development of novel…
Currently, the most accurate and stable clocks use optical interrogation of either a single ion or an ensemble of neutral atoms confined in an optical lattice. Here, we demonstrate a new optical clock system based on an array of…
The physical conditions for the emergence of the extremely low-lying nuclear isomer $^{229m}$Th at approximately 8 eV are investigated in the framework of our recently proposed nuclear structure model. Our theoretical approach explains the…
The absolute frequency of the $^{87}{\rm Sr}$ lattice clock transition was evaluated with an uncertainty of $1.1\times 10^{-15}$ using a frequency link to the international atomic time (TAI). The frequency uncertainty of a hydrogen maser…
We have characterized the molecular tellurium (Te$_2$) spectrum in the vicinity of the 423nm $^1S_0-^1P_1$ and the 431nm $^3P_1-^3P_0$ transitions in neutral calcium. These transitions are relevant to optical clocks for atomic-beam…
We propose a many-ion optical atomic clock based on three-dimensional Coulomb crystals of order one thousand Sn$^{2+}$ ions confined in a linear RF Paul trap. Sn$^{2+}$ has a unique combination of features that is not available in…
We propose a compact atomic clock based on ultracold Rb atoms that are magnetically trapped near the surface of an atom microchip. An interrogation scheme that combines electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) with Ramsey's method of…
With an expected energy of 7.8(5) eV, the isomeric first excited state in $^{229}$Th exhibits the lowest excitation energy of all known nuclei. Until today, a value for the excitation energy has been inferred only by indirect measurements.…
We experimentally investigate an optical frequency standard based on the 467 nm (642 THz) electric-octupole reference transition 2S1/2(F=0) -> F7/2(F=3) in a single trapped 171Yb+ ion. The extraordinary features of this transition result…
Nuclear chronometer, which predicts the ages of the oldest stars by comparing the present and initial abundances of long-lived radioactive nuclides, provides an independent dating technique for the cosmos. A new nuclear chronometer called…
The nuclei that constitute a crystalline lattice, oscillate relative to each other with a very low energy that is not sufficient to penetrate through the Coulomb barriers separating them. An additional energy, which is needed to tunnel…
$^{133}$Cs, which is the only stable cesium (Cs) isotope, is one of the most investigated elements in atomic spectroscopy and was used to realize the atomic clock in 1955. Among all atomic clocks, the cesium atomic clock has a special…
We describe protocols for passive atomic clocks based on quantum interrogation of the atoms. Unlike previous techniques, our protocols are adaptive and take advantage of prior information about the clock's state. To reduce deviations from…