Title :
The mercury single-ion optical clock and a test of the stability of the fundamental constants
Author :
Bize, S. ; Diddams, S.A. ; Tanaka, U. ; Tanner, C.E. ; Oskay, W.H. ; Parker, T. ; Drullinger, R.E. ; Heavner, T. ; Jefferts, S.R. ; Hollberg, L. ; Itano, W.M. ; Wineland, D.J. ; Bergquist, J.C.
Author_Institution :
Div. of Time & Frequency, Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Boulder, CO, USA
Abstract :
Summary form only given. Results of the measurements which compare the frequency ν/sub Hg/ of the /sup 199/Hg/sup +2/ S/sub 1/2/ (F=0) - /sup 2/D/sub 1/2/ (F=2, m/sub F/=0) optical transition to the SI second as realized at NIST are reported. Since the NIST time scale is calibrated with a cesium fountain primary frequency standard, the ratio of ν/sub Hg/ ( ≈ 10/sup 15/ Hz) to the cesium ground-state hyperfine splitting ν/sub Cs/ (≈ 9.2 GHz) is measured. These measurements show better reproducibility than 10 Hz at ν/sub Hg/, and constrain any possible variation of the ratio ν/sub Hg/ /ν/sub Cs/ to ± 7·10/sup -15/ yr/sup -1/.
Keywords :
atomic clocks; frequency standards; ground states; hyperfine structure; laser cooling; mercury (metal); positive ions; Hg; cesium fountain primary frequency standard; cesium ground-state hyperfine splitting; fundamental constants; mercury single-ion optical clock; optical transition; stability test; Extraterrestrial measurements; Laser stability; Laser transitions; Laser tuning; Testing; Ultrafast optics;
Conference_Titel :
Holey Fibers and Photonic Crystals/Polarization Mode Dispersion/Photonics Time/Frequency Measurement and Control, 2003 Digest of the LEOS Summer Topical Meetings
Conference_Location :
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7982-9
DOI :
10.1109/LEOSST.2003.1224324
