Hannover 2013 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 20: Poster: Precision spectroscopy of atoms and ions (with Q)

A 20.24: Poster

Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 16:00–18:30, Empore Lichthof

Transportable Apparatus for a Strontium Lattice Clock — •Stefan Vogt, Sebastian Häfner, Stephan Falke, Uwe Sterr, and Christian Lisdat — Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany

The best measurements of optical transition frequencies in atoms or ions are today limited by the realization of the SI second. The natural way to avoid this limitation is to directly compare frequencies in the optical regime. This will enable tests of physical theories such as possible variations of fundamental constants or tests of general relativity, or enable a new way of measuring the difference in gravitional potential between two places. Nevertheless the number of optical frequency-ratio measurements performed so far is small, because remote comparisons at that level are still difficult and so far there are no clock setups that are in fact transportable.

Here we will present the progress on a new transportable setup for an optical lattice clock working with ⁸⁷Sr. The system consists of a vacuum chamber and laser systems for trapping, cooling and interrogating the atoms. We will present the latest results on a Zeeman slower based on permanent magnets and field coils for the magneto-optical trap that are compatible with temperature gradients of well below one Kelvin on the vacuum chamber. This is crucial for correcting the frequency shift caused by the blackbody radiation emitted form the environment seem by the atoms. This work is supported by the Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research (QUEST) and EU through the Space Optical Clocks (SOC2) project.