Micro Ion Frequency Standard

We are developing a highly miniaturized trapped ion clock to probe the 12.6 GHz hyperfine transition in the 171Yb+ ion. The clock development is being funded by the Integrated Micro Primary Atomic Clock Technology (IMPACT) program from DARPA where the stated goals are to develop a clock that consumes 50 mW of power, has a size of 5 cm3, and has a long-term frequency stability of 10-14 at one month. One of the significant challenges will be to develop miniature single-frequency lasers at 369 nm and 935 nm and the optical systems to deliver light to the ions and to collect ion fluorescence on a detector.