Paper Laser: a step towards a time scale generation from an ensemble of optical clocks

8th Symposium on Frequency Standards and Metrology 2015

Ortiz, C.A.^1,2 ; De Carlos, E.^1 ; Lopez, J.M.^1,2

Dirección de Tiempo y Frecuencia, Centro National de Metrología, CENAM, km. 4.5 carretera a los Cués, El Marqués, Querétaro

76246, Mexico^1

Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), CINVESTAV, Unidad Querétaro, Libramiento Norponiente No. 2000, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro

76230, Mexico^2

关键词: Bureau international des poids et mesures;    Innovative techniques;    Metrological characteristics;    Nominal values;    Optical clocks;    Optical frequency;    Paper clock;    Recursive algorithms;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/723/1/012062/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/723/1/012062

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

In this paper a simple and innovative technique to combine n optical frequencies with the aim to produce a virtual laser with superior metrological characteristics is introduced. The algorithms to combine a number of clocks to produce a virtual clock, which is also referred as paper clock, are well known. An example of this is the statistical generation of the UTC time scale by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) using a recursive algorithm (ALGOS). A similar algorithm to combine n optical frequencies, all of them with same nominal value, to produce a "paper laser" whose frequency is known through its difference with respect to the optical frequencies of the ensemble is proposed here. As a demonstration of this, three optical frequencies stabilized to the D2Cs-133 line, all of them with similar frequency stability were experimentally combined. A paper laser has been produced during hours whose frequency stability is about 3-1/2times with respect to the original optical frequencies. This technique can be applied to combine ultra-stable optical frequencies to produce a paper laser that can be materialized by correcting one of the real optical frequencies of the ensemble. The robustness and stability of a paper laser is very attractive to produce a time scale from its operation.