2024-10-07 - 2024-10-11
Nils Huntemann
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
The realization of unperturbed atomic transition frequencies enables the operation of the most accurate measuring instruments to date. While the unit of time, the second, is currently defined using the 133Cs hyperfine ground state transition at microwave frequencies, reference transitions at optical frequencies have so far demonstrated more than two orders of magnitude higher accuracy. In this lecture series you will learn the basic principles of such high-precision spectroscopy experiments. Focusing on optical atomic clocks with trapped ions, systematic shift effects will be discussed, from the basic interaction with residual magnetic and electric fields to those related to the technical realization, including relativistic shifts. The lecture will be complemented by small programming exercises that provide a practical insight and thus support the understanding. In recent years, the astonishing precision achieved with atomic clocks has enabled various laboratory searches for new physics effects. These include tests of fundamental physical principles such as Einstein's equivalence principle and the search for ultra-light dark matter, for which a wave-like behavior is expected. Finally, the lecture will discuss future progress and challenges on the way to even higher precision.
