Generation of a high purity microwave signal from a dual-frequency op-vecsel for cpt-based atomic clocks (orale)

Paul Dumont (1) , Fabiola Camargo (1) , Jean-Marie Danet (2) , David Holleville (2) , Stéphane Guerandel (2) , Ghaya Baili (3) , Loïc Morvan (3) , Grégoire Pillet (3) , Daniel Dolfi (3) , Iryna Gozhyk (1) , Grégoire Beaudoin (4) , Isabelle Sagnes (4) , Patrick Georges (1) , Gaëlle Lucas-Leclin (1)

1 Laboratoire Charles Fabry / Lasers
2 SYRTE - Systèmes de Référence Temps Espace
3 Thales Research and Technology [Palaiseau]
4 LPN - Laboratoire de photonique et de nanostructures

The availability of small atomic clocks should greatly improve the mobility and robustness of, for example, satellite positioning system and high bitrate communication networks. In this context, coherent population trapping (CPT) is an interesting technique for the development of compact atomic references. It is based on the coupling of the two hyperfine ground states of an alkali atom, through excitation to a common atomic level, by two phase-coherent laser fields. We propose an innovating laser source for the production of such bifrequency field based on the dual-frequency and dual-polarization operation of an optically-pumped vertical external-cavity semiconductor laser (OP-VECSEL). Laser noise contributions to clock performance have been evaluated and results in an estimated clock frequency stability of 2.7 x 10-12 over a second limited by laser intensity noise. Stability level below 3 x 10-13 over one second is reasonably reachable with small changes in clock working conditions or laser set-up.

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]; Optics / Photonic

Paul Dumont, Fabiola Camargo, Jean-Marie Danet, David Holleville, Stéphane Guerandel, et al.. Generation of a high purity microwave signal from a dual-frequency op-vecsel for cpt-based atomic clocks (orale). International Symposium On Optronics In Defence and Security, Jan 2014, Paris, France. ⟨hal-01074041⟩