Optimal design and validation of atom trapping and atomic storage time for active hydrogen maser

From microwave atomic clocks to light clocks, atomic or ionic clocks often rely on atom or ion trapping or manipulation technology. Trapping hydrogen (H) atoms in atomic storage bulbs (ASBs) is one of the key technologies of H atomic clocks. H atoms remain in an ASB for some time during which they undergo several relaxation processes (including spin-exchange collision relaxation, atom-wall collision relaxation, and magnetic-field inhomogeneity relaxation) and interact with the electromagnetic field within the resonant cavity in the TE011 mode, giving rise to continuous atomic transitions and self-oscillations. In this study, an optimal atomic storage time T-b for a H maser was determined by optimizing various collisional relaxation times of the atomic ensemble and reducing the width of the atomic resonance line through the continuously adjustable length and radius of the opening of an ASB at various atomic beam intensities xi (which is the number of atoms in the atomic beam), namely, 3 x 10(12) atoms/s, 4 x 10(12) atoms/s, and 5 x 10(12) atoms/s, while keeping the structural properties and physical conditions of the H maser unchanged. For xi = 5 x 10(12) atoms/s and T-b approximate to 0.8 s, a frequency stability of 0.95 x 10(-15) could be achieved at 1000 s.

Automated summary

This study determined the optimal atomic storage time for a hydrogen maser by adjusting the atomic beam intensity and optimizing collisional relaxation times. Under specific conditions, a high frequency stability of 0.95 x 10(-15) was achieved at 1000 seconds.