Deployment of a transportable Yb optical lattice clock

Area of Science:

• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Metrology and Precision Measurement
• Geophysics and Geodesy

Background:

• Advancements in atomic clocks are crucial for fundamental physics tests and metrology.
• Transportable optical lattice clocks (TOLCs) offer the potential for portable, high-precision frequency standards.
• Previous TOLC deployments have been limited in scope and independence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first deployment of a fully independent ytterbium (Yb) transportable optical lattice clock (TOLC).
• To demonstrate the feasibility of commercially shipping and rapidly deploying a TOLC over long distances.
• To enable direct frequency comparisons between an optical clock and a microwave atomic fountain.

Main Methods:

• A ytterbium (Yb) TOLC system, comprising a reference cavity, atomic physics package, and optical frequency comb, was commercially shipped 3000 km.
• The Yb TOLC was rapidly deployed and made operational within two days of arrival.
• Frequency comparisons were performed between the Yb TOLC and a rubidium (Rb) fountain at the United States Naval Observatory (USNO).

Main Results:

• The Yb TOLC was successfully deployed and operated as an independent frequency standard.
• The system achieved operational status within 2 days of arrival, demonstrating rapid deployment capabilities.
• The experiment enabled a coherent comparison between the optical Yb TOLC and the microwave Rb fountain.

Conclusions:

• This work represents the first deployment of a fully independent TOLC, including its frequency comb.
• The successful long-distance transport and rapid deployment highlight the practicality of TOLCs for distributed metrology.
• The coherent unification of optical clock stability with microwave fountain output marks a significant advancement in frequency metrology.