1,267 research outputs found
Frequency and time standards based on stored ions
The method of ion storage provides a basis for excellent time and frequency standards. This is due to the ability to confine ions for long periods of time without the usual perturbations associated with confinement (e.g., wall shifts). In addition, Doppler effects can be greatly suppressed. The use of stored ions for microwave frequency standards and the future possibilities for an optical frequency standard based on stored ions are addressed
Sub-dekahertz ultraviolet spectroscopy of 199Hg+
Using a laser that is frequency-locked to a Fabry-Perot etalon of high
finesse and stability, we probe the 5d10 6s 2S_1/2 (F=0) - 5d9 6s 2D_5/2 (F=2)
Delta-m_F = 0 electric-quadrupole transition of a single laser-cooled 199Hg+
ion stored in a cryogenic radio-frequency ion trap. We observe
Fourier-transform limited linewidths as narrow as 6.7 Hz at 282 nm (1.06 X
10^15 Hz), yielding a line Q = 1.6 X 10^14. We perform a preliminary
measurement of the 5d9 6s2 2D_5/2 electric-quadrupole shift due to interaction
with the static fields of the trap, and discuss the implications for future
trapped-ion optical frequency standards.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted for publicatio
Laser frequency stabilization to a single ion
A fundamental limit to the stability of a single-ion optical frequency
standard is set by quantum noise in the measurement of the internal state of
the ion. We discuss how the interrogation sequence and the processing of the
atomic resonance signal can be optimized in order to obtain the highest
possible stability under realistic experimental conditions. A servo algorithm
is presented that stabilizes a laser frequency to the single-ion signal and
that eliminates errors due to laser frequency drift. Numerical simulations of
the servo characteristics are compared to experimental data from a frequency
comparison of two single-ion standards based on a transition at 688 THz in
171Yb+. Experimentally, an instability sigma_y(100 s)=9*10^{-16} is obtained in
the frequency difference between both standards.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to J. Phys.
Quantum state manipulation of trapped atomic ions
A single laser-cooled and trapped 9Be+ ion is used to investigate methods of
coherent quantum-state synthesis and quantum logic. We create and characterize
nonclassical states of motion including "Schroedinger-cat" states. A
fundamental quantum logic gate is realized which uses two states of the
quantized ion motion and two ion internal states as qubits. We explore some of
the applications for, and problems in realizing, quantum computation based on
multiple trapped ions.Comment: Postscript only. 21 pages text, 5 figures., Proc. Workshop on Quantum
Computing, Santa Barbara, CA, Dec. 1996, Submitted to Proc. Roy. Soc.
Direct excitation of the forbidden clock transition in neutral 174Yb atoms confined to an optical lattice
We report direct single-laser excitation of the strictly forbidden
(6s^2)^1S_0 -(6s6p)^3P_0 clock transition in the even 174Yb isotope confined to
a 1D optical lattice. A small (~1.2 mT) static magnetic field was used to
induce a nonzero electric dipole transition probability between the clock
states at 578.42 nm. Narrow resonance linewidths of 20 Hz (FHWM) with high
contrast were observed, demonstrating a record neutral-atom resonance quality
factor of 2.6x10^13. The previously unknown ac Stark shift-canceling (magic)
wavelength was determined to be 759.35+/-0.02 nm. This method for using the
metrologically superior even isotope can be easily implemented in current Yb
and Sr lattice clocks, and can create new clock possibilities in other alkaline
earth-like atoms such as Mg and Ca.Comment: Submitted to Physics Review Letter
Coherent optical phase transfer over a 32-km fiber with 1-s instability at
The phase coherence of an ultrastable optical frequency reference is fully
maintained over actively stabilized fiber networks of lengths exceeding 30 km.
For a 7-km link installed in an urban environment, the transfer instability is
at 1-s. The excess phase noise of 0.15 rad, integrated from
8 mHz to 25 MHz, yields a total timing jitter of 0.085 fs. A 32-km link
achieves similar performance. Using frequency combs at each end of the
coherent-transfer fiber link, a heterodyne beat between two independent
ultrastable lasers, separated by 3.5 km and 163 THz, achieves a 1-Hz linewidth.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Host Population Genetics and Biogeography Structure the Microbiome of the Sponge Cliona delitrix
Sponges occur across diverse marine biomes and host internal microbial communities that can provide critical ecological functions. While strong patterns of host specificity have been observed consistently in sponge microbiomes, the precise ecological relationships between hosts and their symbiotic microbial communities remain to be fully delineated. In the current study, we investigate the relative roles of host population genetics and biogeography in structuring the microbial communities hosted by the excavating sponge Cliona delitrix. A total of 53 samples, previously used to demarcate the population genetic structure of C. delitrix, were selected from two locations in the Caribbean Sea and from eight locations across the reefs of Florida and the Bahamas. Microbial community diversity and composition were measured using Illuminaâbased highâthroughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region and related to host population structure and geographic distribution. Most operational taxonomic units (OTUs) specific to Cliona delitrix microbiomes were rare, while other OTUs were shared with congeneric hosts. Across a large regional scale (\u3e1,000 km), geographic distance was associated with considerable variability of the sponge microbiome, suggesting a distanceâdecay relationship, but little impact over smaller spatial scales (\u3c300 km) was observed. Host population structure had a moderate effect on the structure of these microbial communities, regardless of geographic distance. These results support the interplay between geographic, environmental, and host factors as forces determining the community structure of microbiomes associated with C. delitrix. Moreover, these data suggest that the mechanisms of host regulation can be observed at the population genetic scale, prior to the onset of speciation
Quantum state engineering on an optical transition and decoherence in a Paul trap
A single Ca+ ion in a Paul trap has been cooled to the ground state of
vibration with up to 99.9% probability. Starting from this Fock state |n=0> we
have demonstrated coherent quantum state manipulation on an optical transition.
Up to 30 Rabi oscillations within 1.4 ms have been observed. We find a similar
number of Rabi oscillations after preparation of the ion in the |n=1> Fock
state. The coherence of optical state manipulation is only limited by laser and
ambient magnetic field fluctuations. Motional heating has been measured to be
as low as one vibrational quantum in 190 ms.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Absolute Frequency Measurements of the Hg^+ and Ca Optical Clock Transitions with a Femtosecond Laser
The frequency comb created by a femtosecond mode-locked laser and a
microstructured fiber is used to phase coherently measure the frequencies of
both the Hg^+ and Ca optical standards with respect to the SI second as
realized at NIST. We find the transition frequencies to be f_Hg=1 064 721 609
899 143(10) Hz and f_Ca=455 986 240 494 158(26) Hz, respectively. In addition
to the unprecedented precision demonstrated here, this work is the precursor to
all-optical atomic clocks based on the Hg^+ and Ca standards. Furthermore, when
combined with previous measurements, we find no time variations of these atomic
frequencies within the uncertainties of |(df_Ca/dt)/f_Ca| < 8 x 10^{-14}
yr^{-1}, and |(df_Hg/dt)/f_Hg|< 30 x 10^{-14} yr^{-1}.Comment: 6 pages, including 4 figures. RevTex 4. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
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