We report an observation of the weak $6^{1}$S$_{0}$-$6^3$P$_0$ transition in $^{171,173}$Yb as an important step to establish Yb as a primary candidate for future optical frequency standards, and to open up a new approach for qubits using the $^{1}$S$_{0}$ and $^3$P$_0$ states of Yb atoms in an optical lattice.
In this paper we present the realization of a compact, high-power laser system able to excite the Ytterbium clock transition at 578 nm. Starting from an external-cavity laser based on a quantum dot chip at 1156 nm with an intra-cavity electro-optic modulator, we were able to obtain up to 60 mW of visible light at 578 nm via frequency doubling. The laser is locked with a 500 kHz bandwidth to a ultra-low-expansion glass cavity stabilized at its zero coefficient of thermal expansion temperature through an original thermal insulation and correction system. This laser allowed the observation of the…
We study the prospects of using transitions from the ytterbium ground state to metastable states $^3{\rm P}^{\rm o}_2$ at $E=19\,710.388~$cm$^{-1}$ and $4f^{13}5d6s^2\,(J=2)$ at $E=23\,188.518~$cm$^{-1}$ as clock transitions in an optical lattice clock. Having more than one clock transition in Yb could benefit the search for new physics beyond the Standard Model via studying the non-linearity of King's plot or the time-variation of the ratio of the frequencies of two clock transitions. We calculate the lifetime of the states, relevant transition amplitudes, systematic shifts, and the sensitivi…
We have developed an optical lattice clock that can operate in dual modes: a strontium (Sr) clock mode and an ytterbium (Yb) clock mode. Dual-mode operation of the Sr-Yb optical lattice clock is achieved by alternately cooling and trapping $^{87}$Sr and $^{171}$Yb atoms inside the vacuum chamber of the clock. Optical lattices for Sr and Yb atoms were arranged with horizontal and vertical configurations, respectively, resulting in a small distance of the order of 100 $μ$m between the trapped Sr and Yb atoms. The $^{1}$S$_{0}$-$^{3}$P$_{0}$ clock transitions in the trapped atoms were interrogate…
We evaluated the C_6 coefficients of Yb-Yb and Yb -alkali/group II van der Waals interactions with 2% uncertainty. The only existing results for such quantities are for the Yb-Yb dimer. Our value, C_6=1929(39) a.u., is in excellent agreement with the recent experimental determination of 1932(35) a.u. We have also developed a new approach for the calculation of the dynamic correction to the blackbody radiation shift. We have calculated this quantity for the Yb 6s^2 ^1S_0 - 6s6p ^3P_0 clock transition with 3.5% uncertainty. This reduces the fractional uncertainty due to the blackbody radiation s…
We report the direct excitation of the highly forbidden (6s^2) 1S0 - (6s6p) 3P0 optical transition in two odd isotopes of ytterbium. As the excitation laser frequency is scanned, absorption is detected by monitoring the depletion from an atomic cloud at ~70 uK in a magneto-optical trap. The measured frequency in 171Yb (F=1/2) is 518,295,836,593.2 +/- 4.4 kHz. The measured frequency in 173Yb (F=5/2) is 518,294,576,850.0 +/- 4.4 kHz. Measurements are made with a femtosecond-laser frequency comb calibrated by the NIST cesium fountain clock and represent nearly a million-fold reduction in uncertai…
We describe Doppler spectroscopy of Bose-Einstein condensates of ytterbium atoms using a narrow optical transition. We address the optical clock transition around 578 nm between the ${^1}S_0$ and ${^3}P_0$ states with a laser system locked on a high-finesse cavity. We show how the absolute frequency of the cavity modes can be determined within a few tens of kHz using high-resolution spectroscopy on molecular iodine. We show that optical spectra reflect the velocity distribution of expanding condensates in free fall or after releasing them inside an optical waveguide. We demonstrate sub-kHz spe…
We carry out relativistic many-body calculations of the static and dynamic dipole polarizabilities of the ground $6s^2 ^1S_0$ and the first excited $6s6p ^3P^o_0$ states of Yb. With these polarizabilities, we compute several properties of Yb relevant to optical lattice clocks operating on the $6s^2 ^1S_0 - 6s6p ^3P^o_0$ transition. We determine (i) the first four {\em magic} wavelengths of the laser field for which the frequency of the clock transition is insensitive to the laser intensity. While the first magic wavelength is known, we predict the second, the third and the forth magic waveleng…
Compact and robust ion traps for thorium are enabling technology for the next generation of atomic clocks based on a low-energy isomeric transition in the thorium-229 nucleus. We aim at a laser ablation loading of single triply ionized thorium in a radio-frequency electromagnetic linear Paul trap. Detection of ions is based on a modified mass spectrometer and a channeltron with single-ion sensitivity. In this study, we successfully created and detected 232Th+ and 232Th2+ ions from plasma plumes, studied their yield evolution, and compared the loading to a quadrupole ion trap with Yb. We explor…
While conventional lasers are based on gain media with three or four real levels, unconventional lasers including virtual levels and two-photon processes offer new opportunities. We study lasing that involves a two-photon process through a virtual lower level, which we realize in a cloud of cold ytterbium atoms that are magneto-optically trapped inside a cavity. We pump the atoms on the narrow $^1$S$_0$ $\to$ $^3$P$_1$ line and generate laser emission on the same transition. Lasing is verified by a threshold behavior of output power vs.\ pump power and atom number, a flat $g^{(2)}$ correlation…
Interfacing superconducting qubits with optical photons requires noise-free microwave-to-optical transducers, a technology currently not realized at the single-photon level. We propose to use four-wave-mixing in an ensemble of cold ytterbium (Yb) atoms prepared in the metastable 'clock' state. The parametric process uses two high-lying Rydberg states for bidirectional conversion between a 10 GHz microwave photon and an optical photon in the telecommunication E-band. To avoid noise photons due to spontaneous emission, we consider continuous operation far detuned from the intermediate states. We…
Atomic clocks have been transformational in science and technology, leading to innovations such as global positioning, advanced communications, and tests of fundamental constant variation. Next-generation optical atomic clocks can extend the capability of these timekeepers, where researchers have long aspired toward measurement precision at 1 part in $\bm{10^{18}}$. This milestone will enable a second revolution of new timing applications such as relativistic geodesy, enhanced Earth- and space-based navigation and telescopy, and new tests on physics beyond the Standard Model. Here, we describe…
Laser cooling is a key ingredient for quantum control of atomic systems in a variety of settings. In divalent atoms, two-stage Doppler cooling is typically used to bring atoms to the uK regime. Here, we implement a pulsed radial cooling scheme using the ultranarrow 1S0-3P0 clock transition in ytterbium to realize sub-recoil temperatures, down to tens of nK. Together with sideband cooling along the one-dimensional lattice axis, we efficiently prepare atoms in shallow lattices at an energy of 6 lattice recoils. Under these conditions key limits on lattice clock accuracy and instability are reduc…
We show that optical spectroscopy of Rydberg states can provide accurate {\em in situ} thermometry at room-temperature. Transitions from a metastable state to Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers of 25 to 30 have 200 times larger fractional frequency sensitivities to blackbody radiation than the Strontium clock transition. We demonstrate that magic wavelength lattices exist for both Strontium and Ytterbium transitions between the metastable and Rydberg states. Frequency measurements of Rydberg transitions with $10^{-16}$ accuracy provide $10 \, \mathrm{mK}$ resolution and yield a blac…
We study ultracold collisions in fermionic ytterbium by precisely measuring the energy shifts they impart on the atom's internal clock states. Exploiting Fermi statistics, we uncover p-wave collisions, in both weakly and strongly interacting regimes. With the higher density afforded by two-dimensional lattice confinement, we demonstrate that strong interactions can lead to a novel suppression of this collision shift. In addition to reducing the systematic errors of lattice clocks, this work has application to quantum information and quantum simulation with alkaline-earth atoms.
Despite being a canonical example of quantum mechanical perturbation theory, as well as one of the earliest observed spectroscopic shifts, the Stark effect contributes the largest source of uncertainty in a modern optical atomic clock through blackbody radiation. By employing an ultracold, trapped atomic ensemble and high stability optical clock, we characterize the quadratic Stark effect with unprecedented precision. We report the ytterbium optical clock's sensitivity to electric fields (such as blackbody radiation) as the differential static polarizability of the ground and excited clock lev…
We developed a laser system for the spectroscopy of the clock transition in ytterbium (Yb) atoms at 578 nm based on an interference-filter stabilized external-cavity diode laser (IFDL) emitting at 1156 nm. Owing to the improved frequency-to-current response of the laser-diode chip and the less sensitivity of the IFDL to mechanical perturbations, we succeeded in stabilizing the frequency to a high-finesse ultra-low-expansion glass cavity with a simple current feedback system. Using this laser system, we performed high-resolution clock spectroscopy of Yb and found that the linewidth of the stabi…
We present an experimental study of the lattice induced light shifts on the 1S_0-3P_0 optical clock transition (v_clock~518 THz) in neutral ytterbium. The ``magic'' frequency, v_magic, for the 174Yb isotope was determined to be 394 799 475(35)MHz, which leads to a first order light shift uncertainty of 0.38 Hz on the 518 THz clock transition. Also investigated were the hyperpolarizability shifts due to the nearby 6s6p 3P_0 - 6s8p 3P_0, 6s8p 3P_2, and 6s5f 3F_2 two-photon resonances at 759.708 nm, 754.23 nm, and 764.95 nm respectively. By tuning the lattice frequency over the two-photon resonan…
This article describes the recent progress of optical lattice clocks with neutral strontium ($^{87}$Sr), ytterbium ($^{171}$Yb) and mercury ($^{199}$Hg) atoms. In particular, we present frequency comparison between the clocks locally via an optical frequency comb and between two Sr clocks at remote sites using a phase-stabilized fibre link. We first review cryogenic Sr optical lattice clocks that reduce the room-temperature blackbody radiation shift by two orders of magnitude and serve as a reference in the following clock comparisons. Similar physical properties of Sr and Yb atoms, such as tr…
Singly-ionized ytterbium, with ultra-narrow optical clock transitions at 467 nm and 436 nm, is a convenient system for the realization of optical atomic clocks and tests of present-day variation of fundamental constants. We present the first direct measurement of the frequency ratio of these two clock transitions, without reference to a cesium primary standard, and using the same single ion of 171Yb+. The absolute frequencies of both transitions are also presented, each with a relative standard uncertainty of $6\times 10^{-16}$. Combining our results with those from other experiments, we repor…
The Stark shift due to blackbody radiation (BBR) is the key factor limiting the performance of many atomic frequency standards, with the BBR environment inside the clock apparatus being difficult to characterize at a high level of precision. Here we demonstrate an in-vacuum radiation shield that furnishes a uniform, well-characterized BBR environment for the atoms in an ytterbium optical lattice clock. Operated at room temperature, this shield enables specification of the BBR environment to a corresponding fractional clock uncertainty contribution of $5.5 \times 10^{-19}$. Combined with uncert…
The stability of several clock protocols based on 2 to 20 entangled atoms is evaluated numerically by a simulation that includes the effect of decoherence due to classical oscillator noise. In this context the squeezed states discussed by André, Sørensen and Lukin [PRL 92, 239801 (2004)] offer reduced instability compared to clocks based on Ramsey's protocol with unentangled atoms. When more than 15 atoms are simulated, the protocol of Bužek, Derka and Massar [PRL 82, 2207 (1999)] has lower instability. A large-scale numerical search for optimal clock protocols with two to eight qubits yields …
The passage of time is tracked by counting oscillations of a frequency reference, such as Earth's revolutions or swings of a pendulum. By referencing atomic transitions, frequency (and thus time) can be measured more precisely than any other physical quantity, with the current generation of optical atomic clocks reporting fractional performance below the $10^{-17}$ level. However, the theory of relativity prescribes that the passage of time is not absolute, but impacted by an observer's reference frame. Consequently, clock measurements exhibit sensitivity to relative velocity, acceleration and…
We demonstrate the absence of a DC Stark shift in an ytterbium optical lattice clock. Stray electric fields are suppressed through the introduction of an in-vacuum Faraday shield. Still, the effectiveness of the shielding must be experimentally assessed. Such diagnostics are accomplished by applying high voltage to six electrodes, which are grounded in normal operation to form part of the Faraday shield. Our measurements place a constraint on the DC Stark shift at the $10^{-20}$ level, in units of the clock frequency. Moreover, we discuss a potential source of error in strategies to precisely …
We report on the characterization, including residual phase noise and fractional frequency instability, of fiber-coupled PPLN non-linear crystals. These components are devoted to frequency doubling 871 nm light from an extended-cavity diode laser to produce a 435.5 nm beam, corresponding to the ytterbium ion electric quadrupole clock transition. We measure doubling efficiencies of up to 117.5 %/W. Using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and an original noise rejection technique, the residual phase noise of the doublers is estimated to be lower than ${\rm -35\, dBrad^2/Hz}$ at 1 Hz, making these mo…
Transition frequencies of atoms and ions are among the most accurately accessible quantities in nature, playing important roles in pushing the frontiers of science by testing fundamental laws of physics, in addition to a wide range of applications such as satellite navigation systems. Atomic clocks based on optical transitions approach uncertainties of $10^{-18}$, where full frequency descriptions are far beyond the reach of the SI second. Frequency ratios of such super clocks, on the other hand, are not subject to this limitation. They can therefore verify consistency and overall accuracy for…
In quantum information science, the external control of qubits must be balanced with the extreme isolation of the qubits from the environment. Atomic qubit systems typically mitigate this balance through the use of gated laser fields that can create superpositions and entanglement between qubits. Here we propose the use of high-order optical Stark shifts from optical fields to manipulate the splitting of atomic qubits that are insensitive to other types of fields. We demonstrate a fourth-order AC Stark shift in a trapped atomic ion system that does not require extra laser power beyond that nee…
We propose a scheme of stabilizing the persistent-current Rabi oscillation based on the flux qubit-resonator-atom hybrid structure. The LC resonator weakly interacts with the flux qubit and maps the persistent-current Rabi oscillation onto the intraresonator electric field. This field is further coupled to a Rydberg-Rydberg transition of the $^{87}$Rb atom. The Rabi-frequency fluctuation of the flux qubit is deduced from measuring the atomic population and stabilized via feedback controlling the external flux bias. Our numerical simulation indicates that the feedback-control method can efficie…
To date, the highest fidelity quantum logic gates between two qubits have been achieved with variations on the geometric-phase gate in trapped ions, with the two leading variants being the Molmer-Sorensen gate and the light-shift (LS) gate. Both of these approaches have their respective advantages and challenges. For example, the latter is technically simpler and is natively insensitive to optical phases, but it has not been made to work directly on a clock-state qubit. We present a new technique for implementing the LS gate that combines the best features of these two approaches: By using a s…
We propose a superconducting circuit-atom hybrid, where the Rabi oscillation of single excess Cooper pair in the island is stabilized via the common atomic-clock technique. The noise in the superconducting circuit is mapped onto the voltage source which biases the Cooper-pair box via an inductor and a gate capacitor. The fast fluctuations of the gate charge are significantly suppressed by an inductor-capacitor resonator, leading to a long-relaxation-time Rabi oscillation. More importantly, the residual low-frequency fluctuations are further reduced by using the general feedback-control method,…
Extremely fast qubit controls can greatly reduce the calculation time in quantum computation, and potentially resolve the finite-time decoherence issues in many physical systems. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate pico-second time-scale controls of atomic clock state qubits, using Berry-phase gates implemented with a pair of chirped laser pulses. While conventional methods of microwave or Raman transitions do not allow atomic qubit controls within a time faster than the hyperfine free evolution period, our approach of ultrafast Berry-phase gates accomplishes fast clock-state opera…
We report the construction and characterization of a narrow-linewidth laser system to interrogate the E2 clock transitions at 436 nm of ytterbium ions trapped in end-cap traps. The 871 nm seed laser at the fundamental frequency is referenced to a 10 cm long notched ULE cavity. The output of the laser system is delivered to a narrow-linewidth femtosecond fiber comb, which has been referenced to an ultrastable 698 nm laser, with a phase noise-canceled fiber link. The beat between the laser and the comb shows a sub-Hz linewidth, and with a stability better than 2E-15@1~100 s. The performance of t…
The generation of long-lived entanglement on an optical clock transition is a key requirement to unlocking the promise of quantum metrology. Arrays of neutral atoms constitute a capable quantum platform for accessing such physics, where Rydberg-based interactions may generate entanglement between individually controlled and resolved atoms. To this end, we leverage the programmable state preparation afforded by optical tweezers along with the efficient strong confinement of a 3d optical lattice to prepare an ensemble of strontium atom pairs in their motional ground state. We engineer global sin…
The use of ultra-precise optical clocks in space ("master clocks") will allow for a range of new applications in the fields of fundamental physics (tests of Einstein's theory of General Relativity, time and frequency metrology by means of the comparison of distant terrestrial clocks), geophysics (mapping of the gravitational potential of Earth), and astronomy (providing local oscillators for radio ranging and interferometry in space). Within the ELIPS-3 program of ESA, the "Space Optical Clocks" (SOC) project aims to install and to operate an optical lattice clock on the ISS towards the end of…