2006 APS March Meeting
Monday–Friday, March 13–17, 2006;
Baltimore, MD
Session K1: Optical Frequency Clocks and Experimental Quantum Optics
2:30 PM–5:30 PM,
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Baltimore Convention Center
Room: Ballroom IV
Sponsoring
Unit:
DAMOP
Chair: David Weiss, Penn State University
Abstract ID: BAPS.2006.MAR.K1.1
Abstract: K1.00001 : Trapped Ion Optical Clocks
2:30 PM–3:06 PM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Patrick Gill
(National Physical Laboratory)
For the last fifty years, the international standard of time has
been the
caesium atomic clock, which is based on the 9.2 GHz microwave
absorption in
caesium-133 atoms. The recent Nobel Physics award to T W Haensch
and J L
Hall for their development of widespan femtosecond comb metrology
has
recognised the major role that femtosecond combs have made to the
progress
of optical frequency standards, and their use, going forward, as
optical
clocks. Such single trapped ion and cold atom optical clocks are
now capable
of challenging the best caesium fountain microwave clocks available.
High accuracy frequency measurement of the single trapped ion
optical
frequency standards such as $^{199}$Hg$^{+}$ [1],
$^{88}$Sr$^{+}$[2], and
$^{171}$Yb$^{+}$ [3] by means of femtosecond combs referenced to
the primary
caesium fountain standard has now resulted in uncertainties at the
10$^{-15}$ level. These measurements are close to being limited
by the
caesium standard itself. Looking forward, it now becomes
attractive to
reverse the ``directionality'' of accuracy provision by
referencing the comb
to the optical frequency standard itself, and this concept has
already been
demonstrated [4]. The optical clock so formed can then deliver
full accuracy
of the optical standard to about a million comb modes across the
visible and
near infra-red, and, through the comb repetition rate frequency,
to the
microwave and rf regions. This presentation will review recent
results and
expected future capabilities of these optical clocks,
particularly in
respect of the single cold $^{88}$Sr$^{+}$ ion quadrupole and
$^{171}$Yb$^{+}$ ion octupole clock transitions.
[1] J C Bergquist et al 2005, submitted to Nature
[2] H S Margolis et al. Science \textbf{306} 1355 (2004)
[3] T Schneider et al Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{94} 230801 (2005)
[4] S A Diddams et al. Science \textbf{293} 825 (2001)
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2006.MAR.K1.1