New silicon resonator keeps the frequency of a laser more
stable than ever before - Important for even better optical atomic clocks
A laser with a frequency stability so far unequalled: This
is the result of a research cooperation of the Physikalisch-Technische
Bundesanstalt (PTB) within the scope of the Excellence Cluster QUEST (Centre
for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research) with colleagues from the
American NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)/JILA. Their
development, about which they report in the scientific journal "Nature
Photonics", is important for optical spectroscopy with highest resolution,
e.g. of ultra-cold atoms. But, above all, an even more stable interrogation
laser is now available for use in optical atomic clocks.