Title: NIST Develops More Stable Chip-Scale Atomic Clock Using Near-Infrared Laser
Summary:
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a more stable chip-scale atomic clock by replacing an infrared semiconductor laser with a near-infrared diode laser. This improvement increased the clock’s stability by 20 times, making it comparable to the performance of a hydrogen maser, which is currently used to maintain the U.S. civilian time standard.
The new clock, which is about the size of a 2-liter bottle, could potentially replace larger, bulkier masers in various applications. While the current design still requires a larger, easier-to-use frequency comb, the researchers believe that future iterations could further miniaturize the device.
The findings were published in a journal article by the Optical Society.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/09/spotlight-stability-boosting-swap-our-chip-scale-clock
Keywords: Stabilization, Frequency, Metrology, Laser, Performance
