Abstract
A compact and robust design of an optical lattice clock with high stability and accuracy is needed for the implementation of optical clocks operating on the space station. Here, we present the proof-of-concept model of a 87Sr optical lattice clock for space constructed at the National Time Service Center. The design is different from that of a laboratorial optical clock in that it focuses on the aspects of compactness and robustness, such as the modular design, compact components, low power consumption, and all-fiber links. The physics package is placed on an aluminum alloy rack with dimensions of 40 × 55 × 28 cm3. As far as we know, this is the most compact physics package of the Sr optical clock reported. The time interleaved self-comparison frequency instability is determined to be 2.6 × 10−15/τ.
Highlights
The optical clock is expected to redefine the second because it is superior to the microwave clock by two orders of instability and uncertainty
The design is different from that of a laboratorial optical clock in that it focuses on the aspects of compactness and robustness, such as the modular design, compact components, low power consumption, and all-fiber links
Compared with a bulky and complex stationary optical clock used in the laboratory, we reduce the system volume and the power consumption and adopt designs suited to the space station experiments, such as a low power consumption atomic oven, a shorter
Summary
The optical clock is expected to redefine the second because it is superior to the microwave clock by two orders of instability and uncertainty. The instability and the uncertainty of the optical clock have fallen to a magnitude of 10−18. The atomic optical clock at JILA has achieved an uncertainty of 2 × 10−18 and regarded as the most precise physics.. Laboratories in different countries have worked on improving the performance of optical clocks. The development of optical clocks has advanced the progress of second definition and precisionmeasurement physics, and it is currently a research hotspot worldwide. The progress on transportable optical clocks has promoted the scientific research and engineering application of optical clocks.
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