title: Laser controlled atom source for optical clocks.
abstract: Precision timekeeping has been a driving force in innovation, from defining agricultural seasons to atomic clocks enabling satellite navigation, broadband communication and high-speed trading. We are on the verge of a revolution in atomic timekeeping, where optical clocks promise an over thousand-fold improvement in stability and accuracy. However, complex setups and sensitivity to thermal radiation pose limitations to progress. Here we report on an atom source for a strontium optical lattice clock which circumvents these limitations. We demonstrate fast (sub 100 ms), cold and controlled emission of strontium atomic vapours from bulk strontium oxide irradiated by a simple low power diode laser. Our results demonstrate that millions of strontium atoms from the vapour can be captured in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Our method enables over an order of magnitude reduction in scale of the apparatus. Future applications range from satellite clocks testing general relativity to portable clocks for inertial navigation systems and relativistic geodesy.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kock
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Świerad
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Lyndsie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bongs
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Yeshpal
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Singh