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arXiv · 2003.13172

Miniaturized optical frequency standard for next-generation portable optical clocks

Vincent Maurice·Zachary L. Newman·Susannah Dickerson·Morgan Rivers·James Hsiao·Phillip Greene·Mark Mescher·John Kitching·Matthew T. Hummon·Cort Johnson
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Abstract

Optical frequency standards, lasers stabilized to atomic or molecular transitions, are widely used in length metrology and laser ranging, provide a backbone for optical communications and lie at the heart of next-generation optical atomic clocks. Here we demonstrate a compact, low-power optical frequency standard based on the Doppler-free, two-photon transition in rubidium-87 at 778 nm implemented on a micro-optics breadboard. The optical standard achieves a fractional frequency stability of 2.9x10$^{-12}$/$\sqrt{\tau}$ for averaging times $\tau$ less than 10$^{3}$ s, has a volume of $\approx$35 cm$^3$ and operates on $\approx$450 mW of electrical power. These results demonstrate a key step towards the development of compact optical clocks and the broad dissemination of SI-traceable wavelength references.

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Vincent Maurice, Zachary L. Newman, Susannah Dickerson, Morgan Rivers, James Hsiao, Phillip Greene, Mark Mescher, John Kitching, Matthew T. Hummon, Cort Johnson. 2020-03-30. Miniaturized optical frequency standard for next-generation portable optical clocks. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.396296

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