Progress toward a microwave frequency standard based on laser-cooled large scale 171Yb+ ion crystal

TL;DR

This paper discusses advancements in developing a microwave frequency standard using a laser-cooled 171Yb+ ion trap system, achieving improved stability and integration of components.

Contribution

The work introduces a compact, integrated 171Yb+ ion trap system with over 100,000 ions, enhancing frequency stability compared to previous designs.

Findings

Achieved frequency instability of 8.5 x 10^{-13}/√τ for 10-1000 s

Trapped over 100,000 ions for high signal-to-noise ratio

Integrated electronics, lasers, and shields into a single package

Abstract

We report on progress towards a microwave frequency standard based on a laser-cooled 171Yb+ ion trap system. The electronics, lasers, and magnetic shields are integrated into a single physical package. With over 1E5 ions are stably trapped, the system offers a high signal-to-noise ratio Ramsey line-shape. In comparison with previous work, the frequency instability of a 171Yb+ microwave clock was further improved to $8.5 \times {10^{ - 13}}/\sqrt \tau$ for averaging times between 10 and 1000 s.