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## Rubidium Clock with Pulsed Laser Pumping: State and Prospects

Transactions of IAA RAS, issue 49, 17–22 (2019)

Keywords: frequency standart, pulsed optical pumping, rubidium clock, frequency stability, diode lasers, atomic spectroscopy, laser pumping

### Abstract

A model of a rubidium atomic clock with pulsed optical pumping (POP) was developed and manufactured at JSC “RIRT”. The first part of the article provides a description of the basic principles of POP clock operation. The second part of the article describes the main design features of a clock physical package. It consists of three parts: laser module, laser quantum discriminator and crystal oscillator quantum discriminator. Laser module is a thermostat with laser diode and optical isolator. Laser quantum discriminator contains optical scheme of saturated absorption spectroscopy with 87Rb vapor cell. Crystal oscillator quantum discriminator contains 87Rb vapor cell, located in thermostat with microwave cavity. Developed magnetron-type cavity has high homogeneity of the microwave field distribution in cell volume (field orientation factor 97 %). Optical scheme with acousto-optic modulator provides high optical pumping pulse contrast 47 dB. With this physical package, contrast of central fringe of the Ramsey signal 41.6 % and linewidth 150 Hz were observed. This is comparable to the characteristics of the best Rb POP clock samples presented in publications. The third part of the article is about middle and long term stability of the POP clock model. We provide brief description of clock optimization to achieve high stability on middle term. Current results show stability $σ_y(τ) ≤ 6·10^{–13}·τ^{–1/2}$ on the measure time up to 500…2000 s. For longer periods of time clock stability is now limited by environment condition. Our current work directed to eliminate this impact. Without it we can predict stability at the level of $(1÷5)·10^{-15}$ / day.

### Citation

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S. A. Volkov, G. V. Gerasimov, N. O. Maikapar, D. S. Sidorenkov. Rubidium Clock with Pulsed Laser Pumping: State and Prospects // Transactions of IAA RAS. — 2019. — Issue 49. — P. 17–22. @article{volkov2019, abstract = {A model of a rubidium atomic clock with pulsed optical pumping (POP) was developed and manufactured at JSC “RIRT”. The first part of the article provides a description of the basic principles of POP clock operation. The second part of the article describes the main design features of a clock physical package. It consists of three parts: laser module, laser quantum discriminator and crystal oscillator quantum discriminator. Laser module is a thermostat with laser diode and optical isolator. Laser quantum discriminator contains optical scheme of saturated absorption spectroscopy with 87Rb vapor cell. Crystal oscillator quantum discriminator contains 87Rb vapor cell, located in thermostat with microwave cavity. Developed magnetron-type cavity has high homogeneity of the microwave field distribution in cell volume (field orientation factor 97 %). Optical scheme with acousto-optic modulator provides high optical pumping pulse contrast 47 dB. With this physical package, contrast of central fringe of the Ramsey signal 41.6 % and linewidth 150 Hz were observed. This is comparable to the characteristics of the best Rb POP clock samples presented in publications. The third part of the article is about middle and long term stability of the POP clock model. We provide brief description of clock optimization to achieve high stability on middle term. Current results show stability $σ_y(τ) ≤ 6·10^{–13}·τ^{–1/2}$ on the measure time up to 500…2000 s. For longer periods of time clock stability is now limited by environment condition. Our current work directed to eliminate this impact. Without it we can predict stability at the level of $(1÷5)·10^{-15}$ / day.}, author = {S.~A. Volkov and G.~V. Gerasimov and N.~O. Maikapar and D.~S. Sidorenkov}, doi = {10.32876/ApplAstron.49.17-22}, issue = {49}, journal = {Transactions of IAA RAS}, keyword = {frequency standart, pulsed optical pumping, rubidium clock, frequency stability, diode lasers, atomic spectroscopy, laser pumping}, pages = {17--22}, title = {Rubidium Clock with Pulsed Laser Pumping: State and Prospects}, url = {http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/1963/}, year = {2019} } TY - JOUR TI - Rubidium Clock with Pulsed Laser Pumping: State and Prospects AU - Volkov, S. A. AU - Gerasimov, G. V. AU - Maikapar, N. O. AU - Sidorenkov, D. S. PY - 2019 T2 - Transactions of IAA RAS IS - 49 SP - 17 AB - A model of a rubidium atomic clock with pulsed optical pumping (POP) was developed and manufactured at JSC “RIRT”. The first part of the article provides a description of the basic principles of POP clock operation. The second part of the article describes the main design features of a clock physical package. It consists of three parts: laser module, laser quantum discriminator and crystal oscillator quantum discriminator. Laser module is a thermostat with laser diode and optical isolator. Laser quantum discriminator contains optical scheme of saturated absorption spectroscopy with 87Rb vapor cell. Crystal oscillator quantum discriminator contains 87Rb vapor cell, located in thermostat with microwave cavity. Developed magnetron-type cavity has high homogeneity of the microwave field distribution in cell volume (field orientation factor 97 %). Optical scheme with acousto-optic modulator provides high optical pumping pulse contrast 47 dB. With this physical package, contrast of central fringe of the Ramsey signal 41.6 % and linewidth 150 Hz were observed. This is comparable to the characteristics of the best Rb POP clock samples presented in publications. The third part of the article is about middle and long term stability of the POP clock model. We provide brief description of clock optimization to achieve high stability on middle term. Current results show stability $σ_y(τ) ≤ 6·10^{–13}·τ^{–1/2}$ on the measure time up to 500…2000 s. For longer periods of time clock stability is now limited by environment condition. Our current work directed to eliminate this impact. Without it we can predict stability at the level of $(1÷5)·10^{-15}$ / day. DO - 10.32876/ApplAstron.49.17-22 UR - http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/1963/ ER -