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arXiv · 2211.05313

Ion optical clocks with three electronic states

C. A. Holliman·M. Fan·A. M. Jayich
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Abstract

Optical clocks are the apotheosis of precision measurement, but they require frequent maintenance by scientists. The supporting laser systems are a particularly demanding component of these instruments. To reduce complexity and increase robustness we propose an optical clock with trapped alkali-like ions that use the $S_{1/2}\rightarrow D_{3/2}$ electric quadrupole transition. Compared to traditional group-II ion clocks this reduces the number of laser wavelengths required, and uses hyperfine state preparation and readout techniques enabled by the nuclear spin $I=1/2$. We consider $^{225}$Ra$^{+}$ as a candidate system for a clock with three electronic states, and discuss the potential to help realize a transportable optical clock.

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C. A. Holliman, M. Fan, A. M. Jayich. 2022-11-10. Ion optical clocks with three electronic states. https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.05313

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