Physics Commons^™

Measurement Of Optical Rubidium Clock Frequency Spanning 65 Days, Nathan D. Lemke, Kyle W. Martin, River Beard, Benjamin K. Stuhl, Andrew J. Metcalf, John D. Elgin

Physics and Engineering Faculty Publications

Optical clocks are emerging as next-generation timekeeping devices with technological and scientific use cases. Simplified atomic sources such as vapor cells may offer a straightforward path to field use, but suffer from long-term frequency drifts and environmental sensitivities. Here, we measure a laboratory optical clock based on warm rubidium atoms and find low levels of drift on the month-long timescale. We observe and quantify helium contamination inside the glass vapor cell by gradually removing the helium via a vacuum apparatus. We quantify a drift rate of 4 x 10^-15, a 10 day Allan deviation less than 5 x …