Improved Timekeeping Using Advanced Trapped-Ion Clocks

Abstract

Timekeeping requires practical continuously operating frequency standards with exceptional long-term stability. JPL mercury linear ion trap standards (LITS) operate continuously with short-term stability to 2.0 x 10(exp -14) and long-term stability limited by remaining sensitivity to the second-order Doppler shift, which varies with ion number fluctuations. In this paper, we report measurements in a 12-pole trap showing a greater than twenty-fold sensitivity reduction to all parameters affecting the Second-Order Doppler Shift. This advance should further improve practical ground-based ion standard stability to the 1 x 10(exp -16) level and allow significant engineering simplifications enabling small high performance flight standards.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA496624

Entities

People

  • J. D. Prestage
  • L. Maleki
  • R. L. Tjoelker

Organizations

  • California Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atomic Beam Masers
  • Doppler Effect
  • Electron Emission
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Standards
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Ion Pumps
  • Ion Traps
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Local Oscillators
  • Measurement
  • Oscillators
  • Pumping
  • Pumps
  • Space Charge
  • Standards
  • Vacuum

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.