Highly stable reference oscillator

• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 540475640

Scientists at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, which is applying for this project, perform precision measurements of transition frequencies of cold, stored elementary particles, atoms and molecules. Examples are electron spin resonance of atomic and molecular particles, nuclear spin resonance of protons and antiprotons, optical transitions in neutral atoms for optical clocks, optical transitions in hydrogen molecular ions, optical transitions in ultracold molecules, and ultra-stable optical resonators. In all these projects there are corresponding frequency metrology systems that require a (common) frequency reference. It is requested here and must have state-of-the-art accuracy and stability, in the low E-15 range. Secondary conditions are reliability, self-sufficiency, transportability, and portable acquisition and operating costs. Based on previous experience and market research, a hydrogen maser or a cryogenic sapphire resonator with a corresponding high-resolution frequency counter are suitable solutions. They differ in performance; the maser has better long-term stability, the sapphire resonator better short-term stability. Both provide instability in the low E-15 range for averaging times longer than 1000 s and inaccuracy in the low E-15 range for averaging times > 1E5 s (the latter in conjunction with an existing GNSS receiver in common-view modality).

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hochstabiler Referenz-Oszillator
• Instrumentation Group: 5700 Festkörper-Laser
• Applicant Institution: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
• Leader: Professor Stephan Schiller, Ph.D.