Erlangen 2022 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 24: Precision spectroscopy of atoms and ions III (joint session A/Q)

A 24.3: Talk

Thursday, March 17, 2022, 11:15–11:30, A-H3

Towards continuous superradiance driven by a thermal beam of Sr atoms for an active optical clock — •Francesca Famà, Camila Beli Silva, Sheng Zhou, Stefan Alaric Schäffer, Shayne Bennetts, and Florian Schreck — Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam

Continuous superradiant lasers have been proposed as next generation optical atomic clocks for precision measurement, metrology, quantum sensing and the exploration of new physics [1]. A superradiant laser consists of phase-synchronized atoms showing an enhanced single atom emission rate, allowing direct lasing on narrow clock transitions [2]. Despite pulsed superradiance having been demonstrated [3-4], steady-state operation remains an open challenge. Here we describe our machine aimed at validating a proposal [5] for a rugged superradiant laser operating on the 1S0-3P1 transition of 88Sr using a thermal collimated continuous atomic beam. The elegance of this approach is that a single cooling stage and a low finesse cavity appear sufficient to fulfill the requirements for continuous superradiance. Expected performances are up to 1 μW output power with a reduced output linewidth of 2π x 8 Hz and a sensitivity to frequency drift due to cavity-mirrors fluctuations suppressed by two orders of magnitude. Such a device promises a compact, robust and simple optical frequency reference, ideal for a wide range of industrial and scientific applications. [1] Chen, Chi.Sci.Bull. 54, 3,(2009). [2] Dicke, Phys.Rev. 93, 99 (1954). [3] Norcia et al., Sci.Adv. 2, e1601231(2016). [4] Schaffer et al., Phys.Rev.A 101, 013819(2020). [5] Liu et al., Phys.Rev.Lett. 125, 253602(2020).