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A clock transition for a future optical frequency standard with trapped atoms

I. Courtillot·A. Quessada·R. P. Kovacich·A. Brusch·D. Kolker·J-J. Zondy·G. D. Rovera·P. Lemonde
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Abstract

We report the first direct excitation of the strongly forbidden 5s2 1S0-5s5p 3P0 transition in 87Sr. Its frequency is 429 228 004 235 (20) kHz. A resonant laser creates a small leak in a magneto-optical trap (MOT): atoms build up to the metastable 3P0 state and escape the trapping process, leading to a detectable decrease in the MOT fluorescence. This line has a natural width of 10^{-3} Hz and can be used for a new generation of optical frequency standards using atoms trapped in a light shift free dipole trap.

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I. Courtillot, A. Quessada, R. P. Kovacich, A. Brusch, D. Kolker, J-J. Zondy, G. D. Rovera, P. Lemonde. 2003-03-06. A clock transition for a future optical frequency standard with trapped atoms. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.68.030501

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