A new magnetic state selection method in high-performance optically detected compact cesium beam clocks

We perform a new scheme of magnetic state selection in optically detected compact cesium beam clocks. Unlike the conventional method, we select atoms in the ground state |F = 4, m(F) not equal -4 by pointing the atomic collimator to the convex pole of the magnet realizing the two-wire magnetic field and detect atoms in |F = 3 > after interacting with the microwave field using a distributed feedback laser. The fluorescence background is greatly reduced as the inherent residual atoms |F = 4, m(F) = -4 > are avoided in this reversed scheme. The velocity distribution is narrowed, and the most probable velocity is decreased, since atomic trajectories are close to the weak-field region. We also investigate the relationship between the position of the atomic collimator and the distributions of the atomic beam, which is consistent with the Monte Carlo-based simulation model. By applying the reversed scheme and setting the deviated position of the collimator to 1.3 mm, the signal contrast is improved from 0.7 to 3, and the short-term frequency stability reaches 3.0 x 10(-12)tau(-1/2), nearly three times better than that of the high-performance version of Microsemi 5071A.

Automated summary

We propose a new scheme for magnetic state selection in optically detected compact cesium beam clocks. By pointing the atomic collimator to the convex pole of the magnet, we select atoms in the desired ground state and avoid the undesired states, reducing fluorescence background. The scheme improves the signal contrast and short-term frequency stability significantly.