Vernier Microcombs for Integrated Optical Atomic Clocks

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a Vernier dual-microcomb system for optical frequency division in integrated atomic clocks, enabling precise control and measurement of comb lines near atomic transitions with reduced noise.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dual-microcomb scheme that allows flexible comb line selection, noise suppression, and potential integration into chip-scale optical atomic clocks.

Findings

Successfully measured comb repetition rates with the dual-microcomb system.

Achieved reduction of frequency noise to measurement limits.

Demonstrated potential for integration with ion traps for compact clocks.

Abstract

CMOS-compatible Kerr microcombs have drawn substantial interest as mass-manufacturable, compact alternatives to bulk frequency combs. This could enable deployment of many comb-reliant applications previously confined to laboratories. Particularly enticing is the prospect of microcombs performing optical frequency division in compact optical atomic clocks. Unfortunately, it is difficult to meet the self-referencing requirement of microcombs in these systems due to the $\sim$THz repetition rates typically required for octave-spanning comb generation. Additionally, it is challenging to spectrally engineer a microcomb system to align a comb mode with an atomic clock transition with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we adopt a Vernier dual-microcomb scheme for optical frequency division of a stabilized ultranarrow-linewidth continuous-wave laser at 871 nm to a $\sim$235 MHz output frequency. In addition to enabling measurement of the comb repetition rates, this scheme brings the freedom to pick comb lines from either or both of the combs. We exploit this flexibility to shift an ultra-high-frequency ($\sim$100 GHz) carrier-envelope offset beat down to frequencies where detection is possible and to place a comb line close to the 871 nm laser - tuned so that if frequency-doubled it would fall close to the clock transition in $^{171}$Yb$^+$. Moreover, we introduce a novel scheme which suppresses frequency noise arising from interferometric phase fluctuations in our dual-comb system and reduces the frequency instability down to our measurement limit. Our dual-comb system can potentially combine with an integrated ion trap toward future chip-scale optical atomic clocks.