arXiv subjects

T. G. Akin

Publications and source records attributed to T. G. Akin.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

100-ns-level timing holdover after 12 years for rubidium atomic fountains

While atomic frequency standards are improving at a staggering pace, the timing community has relied on the same continuously running atomic clocks for decades: commercial cesium beams and hydrogen masers. Challenges in incorporating the latest technological advancements into operational clocks has resulted in technology lag compared with frequency standards that consequently impacts timing applications, such as system synchronization, positioning and timescales. The first cold-atom clocks to contribute to the free running international atomic timescale, EAL, are the four rubidium fountains in operation at the U.S.~Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, that came online in 2011. With 12 years of uninterrupted data from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) from Modified Julian Date (MJD) 56074 to MJD 60429, we report on the long-term timing performance of these clocks. The highest performing fountain exhibits TDEV of 8~ns at $\sim 3$~years and a holdover of BIPM's best timescale of $\pm14$~ns at 12 years.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2024

Progress on Optical Clock Technology for Operational Timescales

While optical clock technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, incorporating the technology into operational timescales has progressed more slowly. The highest accuracy frequency standards for groundbreaking measurements do not easily translate to critical timing where continuous, uninterrupted operation over many months and years is required. For example, intermittent steering of a hydrogen maser with an optical standard fails to harness all of the dramatic improvements possible with optical technology. Here we present progress on development and integration of optical-clock technology for operational timescales. An optical oscillator steered to an atomic fountain comprises a hybrid clock with optical-level stability at short times and a reliable long-term reference, and obviates the need for a steered maser. Atomic beam optical clocks are being developed to support 24/7 operations at a level that improves upon the performance of the U.S. Naval Observatory's rubidium fountains. An optical lattice is being developed as a gold-standard frequency reference, complementing the role of the atomic beam clocks.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2022

Tellurium Spectrometer for ${}^1\text{S}_0-{}^{1}\text{P}_1$ Transitions in Strontium and Other Alkaline-Earth Atoms

We measure the spectrum of tellurium-130 in the vicinity of the 461~nm ${}^1\text{S}_0-{}^{1}\text{P}_1$ cycling transition in neutral strontium, a popular element for atomic clocks, quantum information, and quantum-degenerate gases. The lack of hyperfine structure in tellurium results in a spectral density of transitions nearly 50 times lower than that available in iodine, making use of tellurium as a laser-frequency reference challenging. By frequency-offset locking two lasers, we generate the large frequency shifts required to span the difference between a tellurium line and the ${}^1\text{S}_0-{}^1\text{P}_1$ resonance in strontium or other alkaline-earth atom. The resulting laser architecture is long-term frequency stable, widely tunable, and optimizes available laser power. The versatility of the system is demonstrated by using it to quickly switch between any strontium isotope in a magneto-optical trap and by adapting it to spectroscopy on a thermal beam with a different alkaline-earth atom.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Competition between Factors Determining Bright versus Dark Atomic States within a Laser Mode

We observe bimodal fluorescence patterns from atoms in a fast atomic beam when the laser excitation occurs in the presence of a magnetic field and the atoms sample only a portion of the laser profile. The behavior is well explained by competition between the local intensity of the laser, which tends to generate a coherent-population-trapping (CPT) dark state in the $J=1$ to $J'=0$ system, and the strength of an applied magnetic field that can frustrate the CPT process. This work is relevant for understanding and optimizing the detection process for clocks or other coherent systems utilizing these transitions and could be applicable to in situ calibration of the laser-atom interaction, such as the strength of the magnetic field or laser intensity at a specific location.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Observation of Deeply-Bound $^{85}$Rb$_{2}$ Vibrational Levels Using Feshbach Optimized Photoassociation

We demonstrate Feshbach optimized photoassociation (FOPA) into the $0_{g}^{-} (5$S$_{1/2}+5$P$_{1/2}$) state in $^{85}$Rb$_{2}$. FOPA uses the enhancement of the amplitude of the initial atomic scattering wave function due to a Feshbach resonance to increase the molecular formation rate from photoassociation. We observe three vibrational levels, $v=$127, 140, and 150, with previously unmeasured binding energies of 256, 154, and 96 cm$^{-1}$. We measure the frequency, central magnetic field position, and magnetic field width of each Feshbach resonance. Our findings experimentally confirm that this technique can measure vibrational levels lower than those accessible to traditional photoassociative spectroscopy.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Electromagnetically induced transparency with Laguerre-Gaussian modes in ultracold rubidium

We demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency with the control laser in a Laguerre-Gaussian mode. The transmission spectrum is studied in an ultracold gas for the D2 line in both $^{85}$Rb and $^{87}$Rb, where the decoherence due to diffusion of the atomic medium is negligible. We compare these results to a similar configuration, but with the control laser in the fundamental laser mode. We model the transmission of a probe laser under both configurations, and we find good agreement with the experiment. We conclude that the use of Laguerre-Gaussian modes in electromagnetically induced transparency results in narrower resonance linewidths as compared to uniform control laser intensity. The narrowing of the linewidth is caused by the spatial distribution of the Laguerre-Gaussian intensity profile.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Confinement of ultracold atoms in a Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam created with diffractive optics

We report 2D confinement of Rb 87 atoms in a Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam. Changing of the sign of the detuning from the atomic resonance dramatically alters the geometry of the confinement. With the laser detuned to the blue, the atoms are confined to the dark, central node of the Laguerre-Gaussian laser mode. This trapping method leads to low ac Stark shifts to the atomic levels. Alternatively, by detuning the laser to the red of the resonance, we confine atoms to the high intensity outer ring in a multiply-connected, toroidal configuration. We model the confined atoms to determine azimuthal intensity variations of the trapping laser, caused by slight misalignments of the Laguerre-Gaussian mode generating optics.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

Bose-Einstein condensation transition studies for atoms confined in Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes

Multiply-connected traps for cold, neutral atoms fix vortex cores of quantum gases. Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes are ideal for such traps due to their phase stability. We report theoretical calculations of the Bose-Einstein condensation transition properties and thermal characteristics of neutral atoms trapped in multiply connected geometries formed by Laguerre-Gaussian LG{p}{l} beams. Specifically, we consider atoms confined to the anti-node of a LG{0}{1} laser mode detuned to the red of an atomic resonance frequency, and those confined in the node of a blue-detuned LG{1}{1} beam. We compare the results of using the full potential to those approximating the potential minimum with a simple harmonic oscillator potential. We find that deviations between calculations of the full potential and the simple harmonic oscillator can be up to 3%-8% for trap parameters consistent with typical experiments.

physics.atom-ph↗