An atomic object confined in a particular region of an atomic object confinement apparatus is cooled using an S-to-P-to-D EIT cooling operation. A controller associated with the atomic object confinement apparatus controls first and second manipulation sources to respectively provide first and second manipulation signals to the particular region. The first manipulation signal is characterized by a first wavelength corresponding to a transition between an S manifold and a P manifold of a first component of the atomic object and detuned from the S-to-P transition by a first detuning. The second manipulation signal is characterized by a second wavelength corresponding to a transition between the P manifold and a D manifold of the first component and detuned from the P-to-D transition by a second detuning. The first and second detunings selected to establish a dark state associated with a two-photon transition between the S manifold and the D manifold.

An atomic object confined in a particular region of an atomic object confinement apparatus is cooled using an S-to-P-to-D EIT cooling operation. A controller associated with the atomic object confinement apparatus controls first and second manipulation sources to respectively provide first and second manipulation signals to the particular region. The first manipulation signal is characterized by a first wavelength corresponding to a transition between an S manifold and a P manifold of a first component of the atomic object and detuned from the S-to-P transition by a first detuning. The second manipulation signal is characterized by a second wavelength corresponding to a transition between the P manifold and a D manifold of the first component and detuned from the P-to-D transition by a second detuning. The first and second detunings selected to establish a dark state associated with a two-photon transition between the S manifold and the D manifold.

A device implementing a real time clock integrated module for outputting data indicating a time-of-day. The real time clock integrated module includes: a high-precision oscillator or atomic clock having an accuracy of 50 ppb (parts per billion) or better; a timing circuit for generating time-of-day data according to a clock signal outputted from the oscillator or atomic clock; a power source allowing the timing circuit to maintain time when the device is powered off. The timing circuit includes a real time clock and a logic device storing a timestamp. The timing circuit is configured when the device is powered off to update the timestamp value based on the oscillator or atomic clock and to generate a time reference signal and to provide to the device the updated timestamp value and the time reference signal that the device can use as a time reference once the device is powered up again.

A device implementing a real time clock integrated module for outputting data indicating a time-of-day. The real time clock integrated module includes: a high-precision oscillator or atomic clock having an accuracy of 50 ppb (parts per billion) or better; a timing circuit for generating time-of-day data according to a clock signal outputted from the oscillator or atomic clock; a power source allowing the timing circuit to maintain time when the device is powered off. The timing circuit includes a real time clock and a logic device storing a timestamp. The timing circuit is configured when the device is powered off to update the timestamp value based on the oscillator or atomic clock and to generate a time reference signal and to provide to the device the updated timestamp value and the time reference signal that the device can use as a time reference once the device is powered up again.

An embodiment of an optical lattice clock comprising atoms and a laser light source at an operational magic frequency is provided. The atoms are capable of making a clock transition between two levels of electronic states, and the laser light source generates at least a pair of counterpropagating laser beams, each of which having a lattice-laser intensity I. The pair of counterpropagating laser beams forms an optical lattice potential for trapping the atoms at around antinodes of a standing wave created by it. The operational magic frequency is one of the frequencies that have an effect of making lattice-induced clock shift of the clock transition insensitive to variation ΔI of the lattice-laser intensity I, the lattice-induced clock shift being a shift in a frequency for the clock transition of the atoms caused by the variation ΔI of the lattice-laser intensity I.

An embodiment of an optical lattice clock comprising atoms and a laser light source at an operational magic frequency is provided. The atoms are capable of making a clock transition between two levels of electronic states, and the laser light source generates at least a pair of counterpropagating laser beams, each of which having a lattice-laser intensity I. The pair of counterpropagating laser beams forms an optical lattice potential for trapping the atoms at around antinodes of a standing wave created by it. The operational magic frequency is one of the frequencies that have an effect of making lattice-induced clock shift of the clock transition insensitive to variation ΔI of the lattice-laser intensity I, the lattice-induced clock shift being a shift in a frequency for the clock transition of the atoms caused by the variation ΔI of the lattice-laser intensity I.

A Ramsey spectrometer is provided with an optical path, an optical path length stabilization circuit configured to stabilize a length of the optical path, a modulator optically connected to the optical path, the modulator being configured to generate resonant laser light of a first frequency f1 that causes a resonance of an atom, a molecule, or an ion as a spectroscopic target in pulses a plurality of times and generates non-resonant laser light of a second frequency f2 that does not cause the resonance, and a spectroscopic unit configured to spectroscope the spectroscopic target. The spectroscopic unit detects a state change of the spectroscopic target corresponding to the first frequency f1, the state change being caused by irradiating the resonant laser light to the spectroscopic target.

A Ramsey spectrometer is provided with an optical path, an optical path length stabilization circuit configured to stabilize a length of the optical path, a modulator optically connected to the optical path, the modulator being configured to generate resonant laser light of a first frequency f1 that causes a resonance of an atom, a molecule, or an ion as a spectroscopic target in pulses a plurality of times and generates non-resonant laser light of a second frequency f2 that does not cause the resonance, and a spectroscopic unit configured to spectroscope the spectroscopic target. The spectroscopic unit detects a state change of the spectroscopic target corresponding to the first frequency f1, the state change being caused by irradiating the resonant laser light to the spectroscopic target.

A physical package is provided with: a MOT device; an optical chamber which constitutes an optical lattice formation portion; and a vacuum chamber which surrounds these components and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The MOT device is arranged along the beam axis of an atomic beam and traps an atom cluster. The optical lattice formation portion uses optical lattice light that enters therein to form an optical lattice in a cavity, confines the atom cluster trapped by the MOT device in the optical lattice, and transfers, along the X-axis which is a movement axis perpendicular to the beam axis, the atom cluster to a clock transition space which facilitates clock transition. The central axis of the cylinder of the main body of the vacuum chamber passes through the clock transition space, and is set to be substantially parallel with the beam axis.

A physical package is provided with: a MOT device; an optical chamber which constitutes an optical lattice formation portion; and a vacuum chamber which surrounds these components and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The MOT device is arranged along the beam axis of an atomic beam and traps an atom cluster. The optical lattice formation portion uses optical lattice light that enters therein to form an optical lattice in a cavity, confines the atom cluster trapped by the MOT device in the optical lattice, and transfers, along the X-axis which is a movement axis perpendicular to the beam axis, the atom cluster to a clock transition space which facilitates clock transition. The central axis of the cylinder of the main body of the vacuum chamber passes through the clock transition space, and is set to be substantially parallel with the beam axis.