arXiv subjects

Ben Lewis

Publications and source records attributed to Ben Lewis.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Phase-continuous comparison of three all-optical time scales over 20 days

Optical frequency standards have progressed rapidly over the past two decades, leading to the anticipated redefinition of the SI second by an optical frequency. However, time scales have not yet significantly improved despite this development because they are still fully reliant on rf flywheel oscillators, mostly hydrogen masers, which impose a performance limit related to incompletely sampled noise known as the Dick effect. To best benefit from the exceptional stability and accuracy of optical frequency standards, time scales must employ optical flywheels with orders-of-magnitude better short-term (<$10^4$ s) stability than masers. Here, we introduce three optical flywheel oscillators (two cryogenic silicon cavities and one iodine optical clock) with superior short-term stability than hydrogen masers and long-term stability on par with masers. Steering each optical flywheel with a high-uptime Sr optical frequency standard generates three parallel all-optical time scales with continuous operation over >20 days. When compared with each other, these all-optical time scales achieve <$10^{-16}$ relative instability after just a few days of averaging. During typical steering gaps of ~6 hours, the accumulated time difference is ~20 ps, leading to the total time difference of <100 ps over the full measurement period. With the proliferation of long-distance optical fiber links and commercialization of optical flywheels and frequency standards, we anticipate all-optical time scales to be the future of timekeeping.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2026

Mildly Overparameterized ReLU Networks on Orthogonal Data: Incremental Learning and Implicit Bias

The successful training of neural networks hinges on the use of first order optimization methods, yet the theoretical characterization of these methods remains incomplete. This is especially true in settings with mild overparameterization. In this work, we study the gradient flow dynamics of two-layer ReLU networks from small initialization with orthogonal training data. We prove the limiting flow converges to a saddle-to-saddle jump process as the initialization scale tends to zero, revealing an incremental learning phenomenon in which a new neuron activates at each saddle. This analysis recovers the known result of Dana et al. (2025, arXiv:2502.16977) that the network interpolates the training data with high probability as soon as $m \gtrsim \log(n)$, where $m$ is the network width and $n$ is the number of training samples. This incremental process characterization also allows us to derive a novel implicit bias result: the learned interpolator has a squared $\ell_2$-norm scaling as $\sqrt{n}$, which is within a constant factor of the minimal $\ell_2$-norm interpolator. More broadly, our work provides the first rigorous proof of an incremental learning process for ReLU networks, whilst suggesting mildly overparameterized networks can converge to interpolating solutions whose complexity is of the same order as that of the optimal interpolator.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2026

Lunar Silicon Cavity

The Moon's permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) are among the coldest places in the Solar System and are expected to become key landing sites for upcoming international space agency missions. Their proximity to peaks of perpetual solar power and potential resource richness makes them prime candidates for lunar exploration and future Moon bases. Here we propose to deploy a passive, ultrastable optical resonator in these regions that will enable laser systems with unprecedented phase-coherence. The unique physical environment of lunar PSRs greatly benefits the construction of a cryogenic monolithic silicon cavity that exhibits low $10^{-18}$ thermal noise-limited stability and coherence time exceeding 1 minute, more than a decade better than the current best terrestrial system. Such a stable laser will form an enabling infrastructure for quantum technology in space to serve many applications, including establishing a lunar time standard, building long-baseline optical interferometry, distribution of stable optical signals across networks of satellites, testing general relativity and gravitational physics, and forming the backbone for space-based quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Atomic clock frequency ratios with fractional uncertainty $\leq 3.2 \times 10^{-18}$

We report high-precision frequency ratio measurements between optical atomic clocks based on $^{27}$Al$^+$, $^{171}$Yb, and $^{87}$Sr. With total fractional uncertainties at or below $3.2 \times 10^{-18}$, these measurements meet an important milestone criterion for redefinition of the second in the International System of Units. Discrepancies in $^{87}$Sr ratios at approximately $1\times10^{-16}$ and the Al$^+$/Yb ratio at $1.6\times10^{-17}$ in fractional units compared to our previous measurements underscore the importance of repeated, high-precision comparisons by different laboratories. A key innovation in this work is the use of a common ultrastable reference delivered to all clocks via a 3.6 km phase-stabilized fiber link between two institutions. Derived from a cryogenic single-crystal silicon cavity, this reference improves comparison stability by a factor of 2 to 3 over previous systems, with an optical lattice clock ratio achieving a fractional instability of $1.3 \times 10^{-16}$ at 1 second. By enabling faster comparisons, this stability will improve sensitivity to non-white noise processes and other underlying limits of state-of-the-art optical frequency standards.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2025

Frequency stability of $2.5\times10^{-17}$ in a Si cavity with AlGaAs crystalline mirrors

Developments in ultrastable lasers have fueled remarkable advances in optical frequency metrology and quantum science. A key ingredient in further improving laser frequency stability is the use of low-noise mirror materials such as AlGaAs crystalline coatings. However, excess noise observed with these coatings limits the performance of cryogenic silicon cavities with AlGaAs mirrors to similar levels achieved with conventional dielectric coatings. With a new pair of crystalline coated mirrors in a 6-cm-long cryogenic silicon cavity operated at 17 K, we demonstrate a clear advantage of crystalline coatings over dielectric coatings. The achieved fractional frequency stability of $2.5 \times 10^{-17}$ at 10 s is four times better than expected for dielectric mirrors and corresponds to more than tenfold reduction in the coating mechanical loss factor. We also combine two silicon cavities to demonstrate optical frequency averaging for enhanced stability. In addition, we present a long-term frequency drift record of four cryogenic silicon cavities measured over several years. These results open up realistic prospects for cavity-stabilized lasers with $10^{-18}$ fractional stability, as well as an all-optical timescale with continuously operating optical local oscillators.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

A High-Power Clock Laser Spectrally Tailored for High-Fidelity Quantum State Engineering

Highly frequency-stable lasers are a ubiquitous tool for optical frequency metrology, precision interferometry, and quantum information science. While making a universally applicable laser is unrealistic, spectral noise can be tailored for specific applications. Here we report a high-power 698 nm clock laser with a maximum output of \SI{4}{W} and minimized frequency noise up to a few kHz Fourier frequency, together with long-term instability of $3.5 \times 10^{-17}$ at one to thousands of seconds. The laser frequency noise is precisely characterized with atom-based spectral analysis that employs a pulse sequence designed to suppress sensitivity to intensity noise. This method provides universally applicable tunability of the spectral response and analysis of quantum sensors over a wide frequency range. With the optimized laser system characterized by this technique, we achieve an average single-qubit Clifford gate fidelity of up to $F_1^2 = 0.99964(3)$ when simultaneously driving 3000 optical qubits with a homogeneous Rabi frequency ranging from \SI{10}{Hz} to $\sim$$\SI{1}{kHz}$. This result represents the highest single optical-qubit gate fidelity for large number of atoms.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2024

Coherent evolution of superexchange interaction in seconds long optical clock spectroscopy

Measurement science now connects strongly with engineering of quantum coherence, many-body states, and entanglement. To scale up the performance of an atomic clock using a degenerate Fermi gas loaded in a three-dimensional optical lattice, we must understand complex many-body Hamiltonians to ensure meaningful gains for metrological applications. In this work, we use a near unity filled Sr 3D lattice to study the effect of a tunable Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian. The clock laser introduces a spin-orbit coupling spiral phase and breaks the isotropy of superexchange interactions, changing the Heisenberg spin model into one exhibiting XXZ-type spin anisotropy. By tuning the lattice confinement and applying imaging spectroscopy we map out favorable atomic coherence regimes. With weak transverse confinement, both s- and p-wave interactions contribute to decoherence and atom loss, and their contributions can be balanced. At deep transverse confinement, we directly observe coherent superexchange interactions, tunable via on-site interaction and site-to-site energy shift, on the clock Ramsey fringe contrast over timescales of multiple seconds. This study provides a groundwork for using a 3D optical lattice clock to probe quantum magnetism and spin entanglement

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

A cold-atom Ramsey clock with a low volume physics package

We demonstrate a Ramsey-type microwave clock interrogating the 6.835~GHz ground-state transition in cold \textsuperscript{87}Rb atoms loaded from a grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) enclosed in an additively manufactured loop-gap resonator microwave cavity. A short-term stability of $1.5 \times10^{-11} $~$\tau^{-1/2}$ is demonstrated, in reasonable agreement with predictions from the signal-to-noise ratio of the measured Ramsey fringes. The cavity-grating package has a volume of $\approx$67~cm\textsuperscript{3}, ensuring an inherently compact system while the use of a GMOT drastically simplifies the optical requirements for laser cooled atoms. This work is another step towards the realisation of highly compact portable cold-atom frequency standards.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

An additive-manufactured microwave cavity for a compact cold-atom clock

We present an additive-manufactured microwave cavity for a Ramsey-type, double resonance, compact cold-atom clock. Atoms can be laser cooled inside the cavity using a grating magneto-optic trap (GMOT) with the cavity providing an excellent TE011-like mode while maintaining sufficient optical access for atomic detection. The cavity features a low Q-factor of 360 which conveniently reduces the cavity-pulling of the future clock. Despite the potential porosity of the additive-manufacturing process, we demonstrate that the cavity is well-suited for vacuum. A preliminary clock setup using cold atoms allows for measuring the Zeeman spectrum and Rabi oscillations in the cavity which enables us to infer excellent field uniformity and homogeneity respectively, across the volume accessed by the cold atoms. Ramsey spectroscopy is demonstrated, indicating the cavity is suitable for clock applications. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the future clock.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2022

A grating-chip atomic fountain

Cold atom fountain clocks provide exceptional long term stability as they increase interrogation time at the expense of a larger size. We present a compact cold atom fountain using a grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) to laser cool and launch the atoms in a simplified optical setup. The fountain is evaluated using coherent population trapping and demonstrates improved single-shot stability from the launch. Ramsey times up to 100 ms were measured with a corresponding fringe linewidth of 5 Hz. This technique could improve both short- and long-term stability of cold atom clocks whilst remaining compact for portable applications.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

A Fast Algorithm for Calculation of Th\^eo1

Th\^eo1 is a frequency stability statistic which is similar to the Allan variance but can provide stability estimates at longer averaging factors and with higher confidence. However, the calculation of Th\^eo1 is significantly slower than the Allan variance, particularly for large data sets, due to a worse computational complexity. A faster algorithm for calculating the `all-$\tau$' version of Th\^eo1 is developed by identifying certain repeated sums and removing them with a recurrence relation. The new algorithm has a reduced computational complexity, equal to that of the Allan variance. Computation time is reduced by orders of magnitude for many datasets. The new, faster algorithm does introduce an error due to accumulated floating point errors in very large datasets. The error can be compensated for by increasing the numerical precision used at critical steps. The new algorithm can also be used to increase the speed of Th\^eoBr and Th\^eoH which are more sophisticated statistics derived from Th\^eo1.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2019

Optical design for CETUS: a wide-field 1.5m aperture UV payload being studied for a NASA probe class mission study

As part of a study funded by NASA Headquarters, we are developing a Probe-class mission concept called the Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy (CETUS). CETUS includes a 1.5-m aperture diameter telescope with a large field-of-view (FOV). CETUS includes three scientific instruments: a Far Ultraviolet (FUV) and Near Ultraviolet (NUV) imaging camera (CAM); a NUV Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS); and a dual-channel Point Source Spectrograph (PSS) in the Lyman Ultraviolet (LUV), FUV, and NUV spectral regions. The large FOV Three Mirror Anastigmatic (TMA) Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) simultaneously feeds the three separate scientific instruments. That is, the instruments view separate portions of the TMA image plane, enabling parallel operation of the three instruments. The field viewed by the MOS, whose design is based on an Offner-type spectrographic configuration to provide wide FOV correction, is actively configured to select and isolate numerous field sources using a next-generation Micro-Shutter Array (MSA). The two-channel camera design is also based on an Offner-like configuration. The Point Source Spectrograph (PSS) performs high spectral resolution spectroscopy on unresolved objects over the NUV region with spectral resolving power, R~ 40,000, in an echelle mode. The PSS also performs long-slit imaging spectroscopy at R~ 20,000 in the LUV and FUV spectral regions with two aberration-corrected, blazed, holographic gratings used in a Rowland-like configuration. The optical system also includes two Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS), and Wavefront Sensors (WFS) that sample numerous locations over the full OTA FOV. In-flight wavelength calibration is performed by a Wavelength Calibration System (WCS), and flat-fielding is also performed, both using in-flight calibration sources. This paper will describe the current optical design and the major trade studies leading to the design.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

Cold-atom clock based on a diffractive optic

Clocks based on cold atoms offer unbeatable accuracy and long-term stability, but their use in portable quantum technologies is hampered by a large physical footprint. Here, we use the compact optical layout of a grating magneto-optical trap (gMOT) for a precise frequency reference. The gMOT collects $10^7$ $^{87}$Rb atoms, which are subsequently cooled to $20\,\mu$K in optical molasses. We optically probe the microwave atomic ground-state splitting using lin$\perp$lin polarised coherent population trapping and a Raman-Ramsey sequence. With ballistic drop distances of only $0.5\,$mm, the measured short-term fractional frequency stability is $2 \times 10 ^{-11} /\sqrt{\tau}$.

physics.atom-ph↗