Abstract

Optical atomic clocks promise timekeeping at the highest precision and accuracy, owing to their high operating frequencies. Rigorous evaluations of these clocks require direct comparisons between them. We have realized a high-performance remote comparison of optical clocks over kilometer-scale urban distances, a key step for development, dissemination, and application of these optical standards. Through this remote comparison and a proper design of lattice-confined neutral atoms for clock operation, we evaluate the uncertainty of a strontium (Sr) optical lattice clock at the 1 x 10^(-16) fractional level, surpassing the current best evaluations of cesium (Cs) primary standards. We also report on the observation of density-dependent effects in the spin-polarized fermionic sample and discuss the current limiting effect of blackbody radiation-induced frequency shifts.

Publication Details
Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2008
Volume
319
Number of Pages
1805-1808
DOI
10.1126/science.1153341
URL
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/319/5871/1805
Journal
Science
Contributors