Rydberg spectroscopy in an optical lattice: Blackbody thermometry for atomic clocks

Vitali D. Ovsiannikov, Andrei Derevianko, Kurt Gibble

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

We show that optical spectroscopy of Rydberg states can provide accurate in situ thermometry at room temperature. Transitions from a metastable state to Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers of 25-30 have 200 times larger fractional frequency sensitivities to blackbody radiation than the strontium clock transition. We demonstrate that magic-wavelength lattices exist for both strontium and ytterbium transitions between the metastable and Rydberg states. Frequency measurements of Rydberg transitions with 10-16 accuracy provide 10 mK resolution and yield a blackbody uncertainty for the clock transition of 10-18.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number093003
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume107
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 23 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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