A pyramid MOT with integrated optical cavities as a cold atom platform for an optical lattice clock

We realize a two-stage, hexagonal pyramid magneto-optical trap (MOT) with strontium, and demonstrate loading of cold atoms into cavity-enhanced 1D and 2D optical lattice traps, all within a single compact assembly of in-vacuum optics. We show that the device is suitable for high-performance quantum technologies, focusing especially on its intended application as a strontium optical lattice clock. We prepare 2 × 104 spin-polarized atoms of 87Sr in the optical lattice within 500 ms; we observe a vacuum-limited lifetime of atoms in the lattice of 27 s; and we measure a background DC electric field of 12 V m−1 from stray charges, corresponding to a fractional frequency shift of (−1.2 ± 0.8) × 10−18 to the strontium clock transition. When used in combination with careful management of the blackbody radiation environment, the device shows potential as a platform for realizing a compact, robust, transportable optical lattice clock with systematic uncertainty at the 10−18 level

Precision spectroscopy of atomic hydrogen for an improved rydberg constant determination

The 2S 1/2-8D 5/2 transition in atomic hydrogen has been observed as part of the preparation for a Rydberg constant determination at the National Physical Laboratory, UK. We describe this observation and the ongoing improvements to the experimental apparatus. ©2008 Crown

Absolute frequency measurement of the S-2(1/2)-F-2(7/2) electric octupole transition in a single ion of Yb-171(+) with 10(-15) fractional uncertainty

An absolute frequency measurement has been made of the 2S 1/2- 2F 7/2 electric octupole transition in a single ion of 171Yb +. The implementation of a diode-based probe laser stabilized to this highly forbidden transition has resulted in an improvement of more than one order of magnitude upon the lowest published uncertainty. After correcting for systematic shifts, the frequency was determined to be 642 121 496 772 646.22(67) Hz. This corresponds to a fractional uncertainty of 1.0 × 10 -15. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft