Reducing the instability of an optical lattice clock using multiple atomic ensembles

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel multi-ensemble phase estimation method in a strontium optical lattice clock, significantly reducing clock instability by leveraging independent control over multiple atomic ensembles.

Contribution

It introduces a phase estimation approach using multiple controlled ensembles, achieving over twofold reduction in clock instability and extending coherent interrogation time.

Findings

Achieved 1.36-fold reduction in clock instability with quadrature Ramsey spectroscopy.

Demonstrated control over four ensembles using hyperfine structure.

Realized over 3 times longer coherent interrogation and 2.08-fold instability reduction.

Abstract

The stability of an optical atomic clock is a critical figure of merit for almost all clock applications. To this end, much optical atomic clock research has focused on reducing clock instability by increasing the atom number, lengthening the coherent interrogation times, and introducing entanglement to push beyond the standard quantum limit. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate an alternative approach to reducing clock instability using a phase estimation approach based on individually controlled atomic ensembles in a strontium (Sr) optical lattice clock. We first demonstrate joint Ramsey interrogation of two spatially-resolved atom ensembles that are out of phase with respect to each other, which we call "quadrature Ramsey spectroscopy," resulting in a factor of 1.36(5) reduction in absolute clock instability as measured with interleaved self-comparisons. We then leverage the rich hyperfine structure of ${}^{87}$Sr to realize independent coherent control over multiple ensembles with only global laser addressing. Finally, we utilize this independent control over 4 atom ensembles to implement a form of phase estimation, achieving a factor of greater than 3 enhancement in coherent interrogation time and a factor of 2.08(6) reduction in instability over an otherwise identical single ensemble clock with the same local oscillator and the same number of atoms. We expect that multi-ensemble protocols similar to those demonstrated here will result in reduction in the instability of any optical lattice clock with an interrogation time limited by the local oscillator.