Zero-Dead-Time Strontium Lattice Clock with a Stability at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>19</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math>

Optical atomic clocks play a crucial role in fundamental physics, relativistic geodesy, and the future redefinition of the Systeme International second. Standard operation relies on cyclic interrogation sequences, which alternate between atomic interrogation and dead time used for state preparation and readout. This approach introduces the Dick effect, where laser frequency noise aliases onto the atomic transition frequency. Although reducing laser noise improves clock stability, the Dick effect remains a key limitation. In this Letter, we demonstrate a zero-dead-time optical clock based on two interleaved ensembles of cold ^{87}Sr atoms. Our system significantly suppresses this noise and achieves a fractional frequency instability at the 10^{-19} level between 10 000 and 20 000 s over repeated measurements, with a best value of 2.9×10^{-19} at τ=20000 s. The estimated long-term stability based on the combined data of these measurements reaches 2.5×10^{-19} at 1 day. These results represent a more than ninefold improvement over a conventional single-ensemble clock, highlighting its potential for next-generation timekeeping applications.

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Publication Details

Journal
Physical Review Letters
Published
2025-11-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/zbpb-6qxb
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.25
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article

Zero-Dead-Time Strontium Lattice Clock with a Stability at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>19</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math>

Karl J. Friston
1 citations
Physical Review Letters
Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
1.25
article

Zero-Dead-Time Strontium Lattice Clock with a Stability at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>19</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math>

Karl J. Friston
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Optical atomic clocks play a crucial role in fundamental physics, relativistic geodesy, and the future redefinition of the Systeme International second. Standard operation relies on cyclic interrogation sequences, which alternate between atomic interrogation and dead time used for state preparation and readout. This approach introduces the Dick effect, where laser frequency noise aliases onto the atomic transition frequency. Although reducing laser noise improves clock stability, the Dick effect remains a key limitation. In this Letter, we demonstrate a zero-dead-time optical clock based on two interleaved ensembles of cold ^{87}Sr atoms. Our system significantly suppresses this noise and achieves a fractional frequency instability at the 10^{-19} level between 10 000 and 20 000 s over repeated measurements, with a best value of 2.9×10^{-19} at τ=20000 s. The estimated long-term stability based on the combined data of these measurements reaches 2.5×10^{-19} at 1 day. These results represent a more than ninefold improvement over a conventional single-ensemble clock, highlighting its potential for next-generation timekeeping applications.

Physical Review LettersVol. 135(26)
University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
1.25
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