Composite pulses in Hyper-Ramsey spectroscopy for the next generation of atomic clocks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a generalized Hyper-Ramsey spectroscopy method using composite pulses to significantly reduce laser-induced frequency shifts, enhancing the precision of next-generation atomic clocks for fundamental and applied physics.

Contribution

It develops a new composite pulse sequence in Hyper-Ramsey spectroscopy that suppresses systematic light-shift errors in atomic clocks.

Findings

Sequences reduce light-shift perturbations by off-resonant states.

Enhanced accuracy in optical clocks with forbidden transitions.

Potential to reach below 10^-18 relative accuracy.

Abstract

The next generation of atomic frequency standards based on an ensemble of neutral atoms or a single-ion will provide very stringent tests in metrology, applied and fundamental physics requiring a new step in very precise control of external systematic corrections. In the proceedings of the 8th Symposium on Frequency Standards and Metrology, we present a generalization of the recent Hyper-Ramsey spectroscopy with separated oscillating fields using composites pulses in order to suppress field frequency shifts induced by the interrogation laser itself. Sequences of laser pulses including specific selection of phases, frequency detunings and durations are elaborated to generate spectroscopic signals with a strong reduction of the light-shift perturbation by off resonant states. New optical clocks based on weakly allowed or completely forbidden transitions in atoms, ions, molecules and nuclei will benefit from these generalized Ramsey schemes to reach relative accuracies well below the 10$^{-18}$ level.