Description
Optical atomic clocks represent the state-of-the-art in high-precision timekeeping. However, their large footprint and high-power consumption limit their integration into portable systems. This work presents a strategy to transition Rubidium (Rb) atomic optical clocks toward a 1-litre, low-SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) package by replacing bulky photonic components with photonic integrated circuits that include integrated narrow line width lasers.
We employ two integrated photonic external cavity lasers (ECDLs) operating at 780 nm and 776 nm, which are required for driving the $5S_{1/2} (F = 2) \rightarrow 5D_{5/2} (F = 4)$ transition of the Rb optical atomic clock. These lasers are fabricated by an industry partner using GaAs gain material bonded to SiN waveguides. These compact lasers have linewidth of 100s of kHz with a power output of a few mW, and a footprint of less than $100cm^2$. As a an initial proof of principle demonstration, we lock the two lasers to a high-finesse cavity, which allows us to emulate the frequency spacing required to drive the Rb transition.
Next we will lock the lasers to the Rb transition while monitoring the their stability using a stable optical reference. Our results shows that such chip lasers are a promising pathway for portable optical clocks, facilitating high-precision timekeeping in GPS-denied environments and mobile sensing platforms.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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