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arXiv · 1812.01658

Compact cold atom clock for on-board timebase: tests in reduced gravity

Mehdi Langlois·Jean-Françcois Schaff·Luigi De Sarlo·Simon Bernon·David Holleville·Noël Dimarcq
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Abstract

We present a compact atomic clock using cold rubidium atoms based on an isotropic light cooling, a Ramsey microwave interrogation and an absorption detection. Its technology readiness level is suitable to industrial transfer. We use a fibre optical bench, based on a frequency-doubled telecom laser. The isotropic light cooling technique allows us to cool down the atoms in 100 ms and works with a cycle time around 200 ms. We carried out measurements in simulated microgravity and obtained the narrowest fringes ever recorded in microgravity.

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Mehdi Langlois, Jean-Françcois Schaff, Luigi De Sarlo, Simon Bernon, David Holleville, Noël Dimarcq. 2018-12-04. Compact cold atom clock for on-board timebase: tests in reduced gravity. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevapplied.10.064007

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