# Demonstration of 4.8 × 10−17 stability at 1 s for two independent optical clocks

Published on Oct 1, 2019in Nature Photonics38.771
· DOI :10.1038/S41566-019-0493-4
Eric Oelker70
Estimated H-index: 70
(NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology),
Ross B. Hutson10
Estimated H-index: 10
(NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology)
+ 14 AuthorsJun Ye126
Estimated H-index: 126
(NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Sources
Abstract
Optical atomic clocks require local oscillators with exceptional optical coherence owing to the challenge of performing spectroscopy on their ultranarrow-linewidth clock transitions. Advances in laser stabilization have thus enabled rapid progress in clock precision. A new class of ultrastable lasers based on cryogenic silicon reference cavities has recently demonstrated the longest optical coherence times to date. Here we utilize such a local oscillator with two strontium (Sr) optical lattice clocks to achieve an advance in clock stability. Through an anti-synchronous comparison, the fractional instability of both clocks is assessed to be $4.8 \times 10^{ - 17}/\sqrt \tau for an averaging time τ (in seconds). Synchronous interrogation enables each clock to average at a rate of 3.5 \times 10^{ - 17}/\sqrt \tau , dominated by quantum projection noise, and reach an instability of 6.6 × 10−19 over an hour-long measurement. The ability to resolve sub-10−18-level frequency shifts in such short timescales will affect a wide range of applications for clocks in quantum sensing and fundamental physics. By using an ultrastable oscillator based on a cryogenic Si cavity, the fractional instability of two Sr optical lattice clocks at 1 s reaches 4.8 × 10−17 and 3.5 × 10−17 through anti-synchronous and synchronous comparisons, respectively. Figures & Tables Download 📖 Papers frequently viewed together 17 Authors (Eric Oelker, ..., Jun Ye) 201849.96Nature 12 Authors (W. F. McGrew, ..., Andrew D. Ludlow) 12 Authors (W. F. McGrew, ..., Andrew D. Ludlow) References51 Newest #1Ross B. Hutson (CU: University of Colorado Boulder)H-Index: 10 #2Akihisa Goban (CU: University of Colorado Boulder)H-Index: 17 Last. Jun Ye (CU: University of Colorado Boulder)H-Index: 126 view all 6 authors... We investigate the effects of stimulated scattering of optical lattice photons on atomic coherence times in a state-of-the art {}^{87}\mathrm{Sr}optical lattice clock. Such scattering processes are found to limit the achievable coherence times to less than 10 s, significantly shorter than the predicted 145(40) s lifetime of {}^{87}\mathrm{Sr}s excited clock state. We suggest that shallow, state-independent optical lattices with increased lattice constants can give rise to sufficiently smal... #1Samuel M. Brewer (CU: University of Colorado Boulder)H-Index: 11 #2Jwo-Sy Chen (NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology)H-Index: 9 Last. David R. Leibrandt (NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology)H-Index: 24 view all 8 authors... We describe an optical atomic clock based on quantum-logic spectroscopy of the ^1_0\leftrightarrow^3_0transition in ^{27}l^{+}with a systematic uncertainty of {9.4 \times 10^{-19}}and a frequency stability of {1.2\times10^{-15}/\sqrt{\tau}} A ^{25}g^{+}ion is simultaneously trapped with the ^{27}l^{+}ion and used for sympathetic cooling and state readout. Improvements in a new trap have led to reduced secular motion heating, compared to previous ^{27}l$^...
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We report on an improved systematic evaluation of the JILA SrI optical lattice clock, achieving a nearly identical uncertainty compared to the previous strontium record set by the JILA SrII optical lattice clock at 2.1 × 10−18. This improves upon the previous evaluation of the JILA SrI optical lattice clock in 2013, and we achieve a more than twenty-fold reduction in systematic uncertainty to 2.0 × 10−18. A seven-fold improvement in clock stability, reaching 4.8 × 10−17/ √τ for an averaging time...
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Questioning the presumably most basic assumptions about the structure of space and time has revolutionized our understanding of Nature. State-of-the-art atomic clocks make it possible to precisely test fundamental symmetry properties of spacetime, and search for physics beyond the standard model at low energy scales of just a few electron volts. Here, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time agreement of two single-ion clocks at the 10^{-18}level and directly confirm the validity of t...
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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 other physical quantity, with the current generation of optical atomic clocks reporting fractional performance below the 10^{-17}level. However, the theory of relativity prescribes that the passage of time is not absolute, but impacted by an observer's referenc...
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