Ytterbium in Quantum Gases and Atomic Clocks: van der Waals Interactions and Blackbody Shifts

We evaluated the C-6 coefficients of Yb-Yb, Yb-alkali, and Yb-group II van der Waals interactions with 2% uncertainty. The only existing experimental result for such quantities is for the Yb-Yb dimer. Our value, C-6 = 1929(39) a.u., is in excellent agreement with the recent experimental determination of 1932(35) a.u. We have also developed a new approach for the calculation of the dynamic correction to the blackbody radiation shift. We have calculated this quantity for the Yb 6s(2) S-1(0) - 6s6p P-3(0)o clock transition with 3.5% uncertainty. This reduces the fractional uncertainty due to the blackbody radiation shift in the Yb optical clock at 300 K to the 10(-18) level.