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arXiv · 1208.1456

Ytterbium in quantum gases and atomic clocks: van der Waals interactions and blackbody shifts

M. S. Safronova·S. G. Porsev·Charles W. Clark
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Abstract

We evaluated the C_6 coefficients of Yb-Yb and Yb -alkali/group II van der Waals interactions with 2% uncertainty. The only existing results for such quantities are for the Yb-Yb dimer. Our value, C_6=1929(39) a.u., is in excellent agreement with the recent experimental determination of 1932(35) a.u. We have also developed a new approach for the calculation of the dynamic correction to the blackbody radiation shift. We have calculated this quantity for the Yb 6s^2 ^1S_0 - 6s6p ^3P_0 clock transition with 3.5% uncertainty. This reduces the fractional uncertainty due to the blackbody radiation shift in the Yb optical clock at 300 K to 10^{-18} level.

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M. S. Safronova, S. G. Porsev, Charles W. Clark. 2012-08-07. Ytterbium in quantum gases and atomic clocks: van der Waals interactions and blackbody shifts. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.109.230802

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