Related papers: Optical coherence between atomic species at the se…
This paper describes advances in microwave frequency standards using laser-cooled atoms at BNM-SYRTE. First, recent improvements of the $^{133}$Cs and $^{87}$Rb atomic fountains are described. Thanks to the routine use of a cryogenic…
We compare the sensitivity of a recent bound on time variation of the fine structure constant from optical clocks with bounds on time varying fundamental constants from atomic clocks sensitive to the electron-to-proton mass ratio, from…
We experimentally investigate an optical clock based on $^{171}$Yb ($I=1/2$) atoms confined in an optical lattice. We have evaluated all known frequency shifts to the clock transition, including a density-dependent collision shift, with a…
We report direct measurements of the frequency ratio of the 642 THz ${}^2S_{1/2} (F=0)$--${}^2F_{7/2} (F=3)$ electric octupole transition in ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^+$ and the 429 THz ${}^1S_0$--${}^3P_0$ transition in ${}^{87}\mathrm{Sr}$. A…
We implement imaging spectroscopy of the optical clock transition of lattice-trapped degenerate fermionic Sr in the Mott-insulating regime, combining micron spatial resolution with submillihertz spectral precision. We use these tools to…
We report on the direct observation of resonant electric dipole-dipole interactions in a cubic array of atoms in the many-excitation limit. The interactions, mediated by single-atom couplings to the shared electromagnetic vacuum, are shown…
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…
Controlling the Stark perturbation from ambient thermal radiation is key to advancing the performance of many atomic frequency standards, including state-of-the-art optical lattice clocks (OLCs). We demonstrate a cryogenic OLC that utilizes…
Quantum metrology with ultra-high precision usually requires atoms prepared in an ultra-stable environment with well-defined quantum states. Thus, in optical lattice clock systems deep lattice potentials are used to trap ultra-cold atoms.…
We experimentally demonstrated that the stability of an atomic clock improves at fastest rate $\tau^{-1}$ (where $\tau$ is the averaging time) when the phase of a local oscillator is genuinely compared to the continuous phase of many atoms…
In this article, we report on the work done with the LNE-SYRTE atomic clock ensemble during the last 10 years. We cover progress made in atomic fountains and in their application to timekeeping. We also cover the development of optical…
We have quantified a short term instability budget for an optical frequency standard based on cold, freely expanding calcium atoms. Such systems are the subject of renewed interest due to their high frequency stability and relative…
Optical clocks based on atoms and ions probe relativistic effects with unprecedented sensitivity by resolving time dilation due to atom motion or different positions in the gravitational potential through frequency shifts. However, all…
We experimentally investigate an optical frequency standard based on the $^2S_{1/2} (F=0)\to {}^2F_{7/2} (F=3)$ electric octupole (\textit{E}3) transition of a single trapped $^{171}$Yb$^+$ ion. For the spectroscopy of this strongly…
We demonstrate precision measurement and control of inhomogeneous broadening in a multi-ion clock consisting of three $^{176}$Lu$^+$ ions. Microwave spectroscopy between hyperfine states in the $^3D_1$ level is used to characterise…
Current attempts to test local position invariance (LPI) compare different clock transition rates with classically exchanged signals. We propose an experimental scheme for the quantum test of LPI: an internal atomic clock interferometer…
Divalent atoms and ions with a singlet $S$ ground state and triplet $P$ excited state form the basis of many high-precision optical atomic clocks. Along with the metastable $^{3}\mathrm{P}_{0}$ clock state, these atomic systems also have a…
It is shown that the dynamic differential scalar polarisability of the $S_{1/2}-D_{5/2}$ transition in $^{138}$Ba$^+$ can be determined to an inaccuracy below $0.5\%$ across a wide wavelength range ($\lambda>700\,\mathrm{nm}$). This can be…
An atom exposed to an electric field will experience Stark shifts of its internal energy levels, proportional to their polarizabilities. In optical frequency metrology, the Stark shift due to background black-body radiation (BBR) modifies…
The advent of novel measurement instrumentation can lead to paradigm shifts in scientific research. Optical atomic clocks, due to their unprecedented stability and uncertainty, are already being used to test physical theories and herald a…