Intense, narrow atomic-clock resonances.

Abstract

We present experimental and theoretical results showing that magnetic resonance transitions from the "end" sublevels of maximum or minimum spin in alkali-metal vapors are a promising alternative to the conventional 0-0 transition for small-size gas-cell atomic clocks. For these "end resonances," collisional spin-exchange broadening, which often dominates the linewidth of the 0-0 resonance, decreases with increasing spin polarization and vanishes for 100% polarization. The end resonances also have much stronger signals than the 0-0 resonance, and are readily detectable in cells with high buffer-gas pressure.