On May 1st 2017 started the first pilot project Optische Einzelionenuhr für Anwender (optIclock) (user-operable optical single ion clock) in the QUTEGA initiative of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). With a network of scientific researchers from Physikalisch-Technischen Bundesanstalt Braunschweig, Universität Bonn and Ferdinand-Braun-Institut Berlin and industry partners High Finesse GmbH, Menlo Systems GmbH, QUARTIQ GmbH, Qubig GmbH, TOPTICA Photonics AG and Vacom GmbH, it is our goal to realize a demonstrator for an optical single ion clock within the next three years.
opticlock (optical Ion clock) will be designed for precision of 10-15 bis 10-17 and thus surpass every commercially available frequency standard. Yet it is meant to be transportable, easy to use and therefore end-user operable – in contrast to the current optical clocks operated by research facilities. In the optIclock a single charged atom is held in an electrodynamical trap, laser-cooled down to a few thousands of a degree Celsius above absolute zero and interrogated by a so-called clock-laser, that is stabilized to an optical transition of the atom for a high-precision frequency measurement. Usability for an end-user is of particular importance for this pilot project and will be realized through miniaturization, automatization and integration of all device’s single components into a profound system architecture.
- Project website: www.opticlock.de