High-accuracy optical clocks with trapped ions
Public support
Provider
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Programme
—
Call for proposals
FP6-2005-Energy-4
Main participants
Český metrologický institut
Contest type
RP - Co-financing of EC programme
Contract ID
MSMT-45248/2013-7
Alternative language
Project name in Czech
High-accuracy optical clocks with trapped ions
Annotation in Czech
This JRP addresses the development of ultra-precise optical clocks using laser-cooled trapped ions. This will provide a leading European contribution to the realisation of a future SI second based on an optical frequency. The combination of laser coolingand ion trapping provides an ideal spectroscopic system that permits the observation of unperturbed atomic transition frequencies, thus providing the foundation for atomic clocks of the highest accuracy. The low level of perturbation that is achievablewith these clocks has been the motivation for this research from the earliest proposals in the 1970ies and is exemplified by the recent as-yet unrivalled estimated uncertainty of 9x10-18 for the Al+ clock. The main limitation that is generally seen in the approach of the trapped-ion optical clock is the low signal to noise ratio that is limited by quantum noise in the state detection on a single atom.
Scientific branches
R&D category
AP - Applied research
CEP classification - main branch
BH - Optics, masers and lasers
CEP - secondary branch
—
CEP - another secondary branch
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OECD FORD - equivalent branches <br>(according to the <a href="http://www.vyzkum.cz/storage/att/E6EF7938F0E854BAE520AC119FB22E8D/Prevodnik_oboru_Frascati.pdf">converter</a>)
10306 - Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics)
Completed project evaluation
Provider evaluation
U - Uspěl podle zadání (s publikovanými či patentovanými výsledky atd.)
Project results evaluation
This project has advanced the development of ultra-precise optical clocks using laser-cooled trapped ions through i) targeted improvements in key components and ii) evaluation and control of the dominant contributions to the uncertainty of the clocks. It has resulted in the development of the most precise trapped ion optical clock to date and in a comprehensive set of frequency measurements and clock comparisons that provide a leading European contribution to the realisation of a future SI second based on an optical clock.
Solution timeline
Realization period - beginning
Jan 1, 2013
Realization period - end
Apr 30, 2015
Project status
U - Finished project
Latest support payment
Feb 20, 2015
Data delivery to CEP
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data delivery code
CEP16-MSM-7A-U/01:1
Data delivery date
Oct 11, 2017
Finance
Total approved costs
3,999 thou. CZK
Public financial support
2,229 thou. CZK
Other public sources
0 thou. CZK
Non public and foreign sources
1,769 thou. CZK