CornellUniversityLibrary(PDF).pdfVIP

An atomic clock with 1018 instability 3 1 0 N. Hinkley,12 J. A. Sherman,1 N. B. Phillips,1 M. Schioppo,1 2 1 1 134 1 1 N. D. Lemke, K. Beloy, M. Pizzocaro, C. W. Oates, A. D. Ludlow y a M 1National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA 4 2 2 University of Colorado, Department of Physics, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA 3 ] Instituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Str. delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino, Italy h 4Politecnico di Torino, Corso duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10125 Torino, Italy p - Corresponding author. E-mail: ludlow@ m o t a s. Atomic clocks have been transformational in science and technology, leading c i s to innovations such as global positioning, advanced communications, and tests y h of fundamental constant variation. Next-generation optical atomic clocks can p [ extend the capability of these timekeepers, where researchers have long as- 1 v pired toward measurement precision at 1 part in 1018. This milestone will en- 9 6 8 able a second revolution of new timing applications such as relativistic geodesy, 5 . 5 enhanced Earth- and space-based navigation and telescopy, and new tests on 0 3 physics beyond the Standard Model. Here, we describe the development and 1 : v operation of two optical lattice clocks, both utilizing spin-polarized, ultracold i X atomic ytterbium. A measurement comparing these systems demonstrates an r a unprecedented atomic clock instability of 16 1018 after only 7 hours of av- eraging. Periodic physical