Related papers: Atomic Properties of Lu$^+$
Recently invented and demonstrated, optical lattice clocks hold great promise for improving the precision of modern timekeeping. These clocks aim at the 10^-18 fractional accuracy, which translates into a clock that would neither lose or…
Optical atomic clocks have demonstrated revolutionary advances in precision timekeeping, but their applicability to the real world is critically dependent on whether such clocks can operate outside a laboratory setting. The challenge to…
Optical clocks based on atoms and ions achieve exceptional precision and accuracy, with applications to relativistic geodesy, tests of relativity, and searches for dark matter. Achieving such performance requires balancing competing…
Since the atomic clock was invented, its performance has been improved for one digit every decade until 90s of last century when the traditional atomic clock almost reached its limit. With laser cooled atoms, the performance can be further…
Recently, it has been proposed that space-based atomic sensors may be used to detect gravitational waves. These proposals describe the sensors either as clocks or as atom interferometers. Here, we seek to explore the fundamental…
Active atomic clocks are predicted to provide far better short-term stability and robustness against thermal fluctuations than typical feedback-based optical atomic clocks. However, continuous laser operation using an ensemble of clock…
We present the latest developments in the field of atomic clocks and their applications in metrology and fundamental physics. In the light of recent advents in the accuracy of optical clocks, we present an introduction to the relativistic…
The first nuclear excited state of $^{229}$Th offers the unique opportunity for laser-based optical control of a nucleus. Its exceptional properties allow for the development of a nuclear optical clock which offers a complementary…
$^{229}$Th is the only known nucleus with an excited state that offers the possibility for a direct laser excitation using existing laser technology. Its excitation energy has been measured indirectly to be 7.8(5) eV ($\approx$160 nm). The…
To operate an optical lattice clock at a fractional uncertainty below $10^{-17}$, one must typically consider not only electric-dipole (E1) interaction between an atom and the lattice light field when characterizing the resulting lattice…
We study the $^1$S$_0 - ^3$D$_2$ and $^1$S$_0 - ^3$D$_3$ transitions in Cu II and the $^1$S$_0 - ^3$P$^{\rm o}_2$ transition in Yb III as possible candidates for the optical clock transitions. A recently developed version of the…
Atomic clocks are typically operated by locking a local oscillator (LO) to a single atomic ensemble. In this article we propose a scheme where the LO is locked to several atomic ensembles instead of one. This results in an exponential…
Ultra-precise optical clocks in space will allow new studies in fundamental physics and astronomy. Within an European Space Agency (ESA) program, the Space Optical Clocks (SOC) project aims to install and to operate an optical lattice clock…
Optical atomic clocks based on trapped ions suffer from systematic frequency shifts of the clock transition due to interaction with blackbody radiation from the environment. These shifts can be compensated if the blackbody radiation…
We demonstrate a new method of cavity-enhanced non-destructive detection of atoms for a strontium optical lattice clock. The detection scheme is shown to be linear in atom number up to at least 10,000 atoms, to reject technical noise…
Atom-like quantum systems in solids have been proposed as a compact alternative for atomic clocks, but realizing the potential of solid-state technology will requires an architecture design which overcomes traditional limitations such as…
We develop a unified theory for clocks and gravimeters using the interferences of multiple atomic waves put in levitation by traveling light pulses. Inspired by optical methods, we exhibit a propagation invariant, which enables to derive…
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…
The passage of time is tracked by counting oscillations of a frequency reference, such as Earth's revolutions or swings of a pendulum. By referencing atomic transitions, frequency (and thus time) can be measured more precisely than any…
We demonstrate how to realize an optical clock with neutral atoms that is competitive to the currently best single ion optical clocks in accuracy and superior in stability. Using ultracold atoms in a Ca optical frequency standard we show…