Related papers: High-Stability Single-Ion Clock with $5.5\times10^…
We report on the realization of a new compact strontium optical clock using a 2-D magneto-optical-trap (2D-MOT) as cold atomic source and a multi-wavelength cavity as the frequency stabilization system. All needed optical frequencies are…
Collisions with background gas can perturb the transition frequency of trapped ions in an optical atomic clock. We develop a non-perturbative framework based on a quantum channel description of the scattering process, and use it to derive a…
Highly frequency-stable lasers are a ubiquitous tool for optical frequency metrology, precision interferometry, and quantum information science. While making a universally applicable laser is unrealistic, spectral noise can be tailored for…
In 2003 we have measured the absolute frequency of the $(1S, F=1, m_F=\pm 1) \leftrightarrow (2S, F'=1, m_F'=\pm 1)$ two-photon transition in atomic hydrogen. We observed a variation of $(-29\pm 57)$ Hz over a 44 months interval separating…
A full evaluation of the uncertainty budget for the ytterbium ion optical clock at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) was performed on the electric octupole (E3) $^2\mathrm{S}_{1/2}\,\rightarrow\, ^2\mathrm{F}_{7/2}$ transition. The…
The motion of an ion in a radiofrequency (rf) Paul trap is described by the Mathieu equation and the associated stability parameters that are proportional to the rf and dc electric field gradients. Here, a higher-order, iterative method to…
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…
Highly charged ions (HCIs) are promising candidates for the next generation of atomic clocks, owing to their tightly bound electron cloud, which significantly suppresses the common environmental disturbances to the quantum oscillator. Here…
Optical atomic clocks using highly-charged ions hold an intriguing promise of metrology at the 19th significant figure. Here we study transitions within the $4f^{12}$ ground-state electronic configuration of highly charged ions. We consider…
We present and analyze four frequency measurements designed to characterize the performance of an optical frequency reference based on spectral hole burning in \EuYSO. The first frequency comparison, between a single unperturbed spectral…
We report on progress towards a microwave frequency standard based on a laser-cooled 171Yb+ ion trap system. The electronics, lasers, and magnetic shields are integrated into a single physical package. With over 1E5 ions are stably trapped,…
We have measured the absolute frequency of the optical lattice clock based on $^{87}$Sr at PTB with an uncertainty of $3.9\times 10^{-16}$ using two caesium fountain clocks. This is close to the accuracy of today's best realizations of the…
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…
Highly charged ions (HCIs) combine compact electronic structure with strong relativistic effects, offering both robustness against external perturbations and enhanced sensitivity to variations of the fine-structure constant. Recent advances…
Recent developments in frequency metrology and optical clocks have been based on electronic transitions in atoms and singly charged ions as references. These systems have enabled relative frequency uncertainties at a level of a few parts in…
The 7.8 eV nuclear isomer transition in 229 Thorium has been suggested as an etalon transition in a new type of optical frequency standard. Here we discuss the construction of a "solid-state nuclear clock" from Thorium nuclei implanted into…
Atomic lattice clocks have spurred numerous ideas for tests of fundamental physics, detection of general relativistic effects, and studies of interacting many-body systems. On the other hand, molecular structure and dynamics offer rich…
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 propose a new frequency standard based on a $4f^{14} 6s6p~ ^3\!P_0 - 4f^{13} 6s^2 5d ~(J=2)$ transition in neutral Yb. This transition has a potential for high stability and accuracy and the advantage of the highest sensitivity among…
We report on the possibility to obtain a high-quality inverted Doppler-free resonance in D1 line of alkali-metal atoms in the single-frequency regime. The counter-propagating optical fields with linear and mutually orthogonal polarizations…