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Resolving the gravitational redshift in a millimetre-scale atomic sample

ORAL · Invited

Abstract

In this talk I discuss recent progress on the accuracy and precision of state-of-the-art optical atomic clocks. The improved measurement stability of this system enables the resolution of a linear frequency gradient consistent with the gravitational redshift within a single millimetre-scale sample of ultracold strontium. Our result is enabled by improving the fractional frequency measurement uncertainty by more than a factor of 10, now reaching 7.6x10^-21. This heralds a new regime of clock operation necessitating intra-sample corrections for gravitational perturbations. In addition, I discuss the ability to tune the relative strength of the on-site and off-site interactions to achieve a zero density shift at a `magic' lattice depth. This mechanism, together with a large number of atoms, enables the demonstration of the most stable atomic clock while minimizing a key systematic uncertainty related to atomic density. Interactions can also be maximized by driving off-site Wannier-Stark transitions, realizing a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic dynamical phase transition.

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Presenters

  • Colin J Kennedy

    Quantinuum, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST and University of Colorado Boulder

Authors

  • Colin J Kennedy

    Quantinuum, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST and University of Colorado Boulder

  • Tobias Bothwell

    University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, NIST and University of Colorado Boulder

  • Alexander G Aeppli

    University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Dhruv Kedar

    JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA, University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder

  • John M Robinson

    JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Eric Oelker

    Institute for Gravitational Research, School of Physics and Astronomy, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom, University of Colorado, Boulder, NIST

  • Alexander Staron

    JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Anjun Chu

    JILA, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Peiru He

    JILA, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Ana Maria Rey

    JILA, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, UC Boulder/JILA, JILA, NIST and University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Jun Ye

    University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA, JILA, NIST and Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, CU Boulder