Design and test of the microwave cavity in an optically-pumped Rubidium beam frequency standard

We are developing a compact rubidium atomic beam frequency standard with optical pumping and detection.The cavity for microwave interrogation is an important part of the clock.The cavity in our design is a Ramsey-type,E-bend one,which is the same as the conventional method in most cesium beam clocks.Requirements for the design are proposed based on the frequency shift associated with the cavity.The basic structure of the cavity is given by theoretical analysis and detailed dimensions are determined by means of electromagnetic field simulation with the help of commercial software.The cavity is manufactured and fabricated successfully.The preliminary test result of the cavity is given,which is in good agreement with the simulation.The resonant frequency is 6.835 GHz,equal to the clock transition frequency of87Rb,and the loaded quality factor is 500.These values are adjustable with posts outside the cavity.Estimations on the Ramsey line width and several frequency shifts are made.     

Cavity phase-shift error evaluation in a magnesium atomic beam frequency standard

In high resolution atomic or molecular beam spectroscopy, where the Ramsey interrogation method is used, one of uncertainty sources in determining the resonance frequency accurately is the phase-shift of the electromagnetic radiation in the cavity. This phenomenon, which depends on losses and asymmetries, is analyzed in a general way for a transverse atomic beam dimension much larger than the transition wavelength, a case which occurs in Mg or Ca beam frequency standards and the effects of different misalignments in collimated or divergent beams are examined. Numerical evaluations have been performed in the special case of an experimental Mg beam frequency standard. Divergence plays an important role in determining the cavity phase shift frequency error which is reduced about 100 times with respect to the case of a collimated beam.     

Emission pattern of high-energy pions: A new probe for the early phase of heavy-Ion collisions

Recent results from CLEO on B-->Kpi indicate that the phase gamma may be substantially different from that obtained from other fit to the KM matrix elements in the standard model. We show that gamma extracted using B-->Kpi,pipi is sensitive to new physics occurring at loop level. It provides a powerful method to probe new physics in electroweak penguin interactions. Using effects due to anomalous gauge couplings as an example, we show that within the allowed ranges for these couplings information about gamma obtained from B-->Kpi,pipi can be very different from the standard model prediction.     

Resolution and sensitivity enhancements in strong grating based fiber Fabry–Perot interferometric sensor system utilizing multiple reflection beams

We investigate an asymmetric intensive fiber Bragg grating (FBG) defined Fabry–Perot (F–P) sensor system decoded by a multiple-path-matched Michelson interferometer. The interrogation of higher order reflection beams cannot only solve the problem of the degraded resolution induced by the spectral mismatch of the FBGs, but also amplify the effect of the fiber strain on the phase of the light. We demonstrate multiple reflection beams in the F–P cavity based on the concept of the FBG effective length for constructing respective interrogation interferometers, and present a cost function with optimized system parameters to improve noise properties. The performances of interrogating the second, third and fourth order reflection beams are compared in a strain sensing experiment arrangement. Under the condition of the same optical path length mismatch, the interrogation of the fourth order reflection beam can achieve 9.8 dB sensitivity enhancement and 3 dB resolution promotion compared with the result using the second order reflection beam.     

Evaluation of second-order Zeeman frequency shift in NTSC-F2

Caesium atomic fountain clock is a primary frequency standard, which realizes the duration of second. Its performance is mostly dominated by the frequency accuracy, and the C-field induced second-order Zeeman frequency shift is the major effect, which limits the accuracy improvement. By applying a high-precision current supply and high-performance magnetic shieldings, the C-field stability has been improved significantly. In order to achieve a uniform C-field, this paper proposes a doubly wound C-field solenoid, which compensates the radial magnetic field along the atomic flight region generated by the lead-out single wire and improves the accuracy evaluation of second-order Zeeman frequency shift. Based on the stable and uniform C-field, we launch the selected atoms to different heights and record the magnetically sensitive Ramsey transition|F = 3, mF=-1 → |F = 4, mF=-1 central frequency, obtaining this frequency shift as 131.03×10~(-15) and constructing the C-field profile(σ = 0.15 n T). Meanwhile, during normal operation, we lock NTSC-F2 to the central frequency of the magnetically sensitive Ramsey transition |F = 3, mF=-1 → |F = 4, mF=-1 fringe for ten consecutive days and record this frequency fluctuation in time domain. The first evaluation of second-order Zeeman frequency shift uncertainty is 0.10×10~(-15). The total deviation of the frequency fluctuation on the clock transition induced by the C-field instability is less than 2.6×10~(-17). Compared with NTSC-F1, NTSC-F2, there appears a significant improvement.     

Model independent bound on the unitarity triangle from CP violation in B-->pi(+)pi(-) and B-->psiK(S)

We derive model-independent lower bounds on the CKM parameters (1-rho) and eta as functions of the mixing-induced CP asymmetry S in B-->pi(+)pi(-) and sin(2 beta from B-->psiK(S). The bounds do not depend on specific results of theoretical calculations for the penguin contribution to B-->pi(+)pi(-). They require only the very conservative condition that a hadronic phase, which vanishes in the heavy-quark limit, does not exceed 90 degrees in magnitude. The bounds are effective if -sin(2 beta相似文献   

Changes in the phase of excitor-tone responses in cat auditory-nerve fibers by suppressor tones and fatigue

The responses of single auditory-nerve fibers in anesthetized cats to two-tone stimuli were studied. One of the two tones, F1, was near, above, or below characteristic frequency (CF). The second tone, F2, was located above CF. With sufficient care, F2 was made purely suppressive, eliciting no synchrony responses by itself. The vector phases of the associated period histogram calculated for F1 were carefully studied. For 78% of the fibers under study, a statistically significant increase in phase lag was consistently observed when a suppression of rate discharge occurred. The phase-intensity curve did not approximate a horizontally shifted version of the unsuppressed curve, as is seen for the related rate- and synchrony-intensity curves; rather, the amount of phase shift at any one stimulus condition tended to be monotonically related to the amount of rate suppression generated (vertical shift). Using two different measures, a significant correlation was found between the added phase lag and the discharge-rate reduction caused by F2. The amount of phase lag, along with the corresponding rate reduction, increases with the increasing intensity of F2 within the suppression area, and decreases as F2 moves away from it. These phase-lag effects were found to be uncorrelated with a fiber's CF, with its spontaneous rate, with its threshold, or with its Q value. By contrast, a reduction of discharge rate due to adaptation was not accompanied by any significant phase shift. Fatigue of the fiber due to lengthy sound exposure was found to have strong effects on the shift of response phase to single-tone stimuli.     

B-->pipi, new physics in B-->piK, and implications for rare K and B decays

The measured B-->pipi,piK branching ratios (BRs) exhibit puzzling patterns. We point out that the B-->pipi hierarchy can be nicely accommodated in the standard model (SM) through nonfactorizable hadronic interference effects, whereas the B-->piK system may indicate new physics (NP) in the electroweak (EW) penguin sector. Using the B-->pipi data and the SU(3) flavor symmetry, we fix the hadronic B-->piK parameters and show that any currently observed feature of the B-->piK system can be easily explained through enhanced EW penguin diagrams with a large CP-violating NP phase. This in turn implies in particular an enhancement of the K(L)-->pi(0)nunu rate by 1 order of magnitude, with BR(K(L)-->pi(0)nunu) approximately 4BR(K+-->pi(+)nunu), BR(K(L)-->pi(0)e(+)e(-))=O(10(-10)), and (sin(2beta)(pinunu)<0. We address also other rare K and B decays and B(d)-->phiK(S).     

High-performance coherent population trapping clock based on laser-cooled atoms

We present a coherent population trapping clock system based on laser-cooled $^{87}$Rb atoms. The clock consists of a frequency-stabilized CPT interrogation laser and a cooling laser as well as a compact magneto-optical trap, a high-performance microwave synthesizer, and a signal detection system. The resonance signal in the continuous wave regime exhibits an absorption contrast of $\sim 50$%. In the Ramsey interrogation method, the linewidth of the central fringe is 31.25 Hz. The system achieves fractional frequency stability of ${2.4\times }{{10}}^{{-11}}/\sqrt \tau $, which goes down to ${1.8\times }{{10}}^{{-13}}$ at 20000 s. The results validate that cold atom interrogation can improve the long-term frequency stability of coherent population trapping clocks and holds the potential for developing compact/miniature cold atoms clocks.     

A Ca optical frequency standard: Frequency stabilization by means of nonlinear Ramsey resonances

An optical frequency standard based on frequency stabilization to Ramsey fringes observed in a Ca atomic beam is described. The important operation parameters influencing the uncertainty of such a standard are studied experimentally. Frequency shifts due to phase errors of separated traveling wave excitation can be strongly reduced by means of laser beam reversal. It is expected that the present fractional uncertainty of approximately 2.3×10^–12 to realize the true line center can be reduced below the 10^–14 level by applying atomic beam cooling and improved phase alignment.     

Spin coherence during optical excitation of a single nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond

We examine the quantum spin state of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond at room temperature as it makes a transition from the orbital ground state (GS) to the orbital excited state (ES) during nonresonant optical excitation. While the fluorescence readout of NV-center spins relies on conservation of the longitudinal spin projection during optical excitation, the question of quantum phase preservation has not been examined. Using Ramsey measurements and quantum process tomography of the optical excitation process, we measure a trace fidelity of F=0.87±0.03, which includes ES spin dephasing during measurement. Extrapolation to the moment of optical excitation yields F≈0.95. This result provides insight into the interaction between spin coherence and nonresonant optical absorption through a vibronic sideband.     

Proposed search for an electric-dipole moment using laser-cooled 171Yb atoms

We propose an experiment to search for a permanent atomic electric-dipole moment (EDM) using laser-cooled 171Yb atoms launched in an atomic fountain. A uniform B field sets the quantization axis, and the Ramsey separated-oscillatory-fields method is used to measure the Zeeman precession frequency of the atoms. Laser beams of appropriate polarization are used for preparation and detection in a given magnetic sublevel. The signature of an EDM is a shift in the Ramsey resonance correlated with application of a large E field. The precision is expected to be at least 20 times better than current limits because the use of a cold atomic beam allows application of E field 10 times larger than in a vapor cell, and the interaction time with the E field is 200 times larger compared to a thermal beam. The leading source of systematic error in beam experiments, the ×/c motional magnetic field, is reduced considerably because of the near-perfect reversal of velocity between up and down trajectories through the E-field region.     

Analysis of B(B-->Xsgamma) at next-to-next-to-leading order with a cut on photon energy

By combining a recent estimate of the total B-->X(s)gamma branching fraction at O(alpha(s)2) with a detailed analysis of the effects of a cut E(gamma)>or=1.6 GeV on photon energy, a prediction for the partial B-->Xsgamma branching fraction at next-to-next-to-leading order in renormalization-group improved perturbation theory is obtained, in which contributions from all relevant scales are factorized. The result B(B-->Xsgamma)=(2.98+/-0.26) x 10(-4) is about 1.4 sigma lower than the experimental world average. This opens a window for significant new physics contributions in rare radiative B decays.     

Rapid extraction of the phase shift of the cold-atom interferometer via phase demodulation

Generally, the phase of the cold-atom interferometer is extracted from the atomic interference fringe, which can be obtained by scanning the chirp rate of the Raman lasers at a given interrogation time T. If mapping the phase shift for each T with a series of measurements, the extraction time is limited by the protocol of each T measurement, and therefore increases dramatically when doing fine mapping with a small step of T. Here we present a new method for rapid extraction of the phase shift via phase demodulation. By using this method, the systematic shifts can be mapped though the whole interference area. This method enables quick diagnostics of the potential cause of the phase shift in specific time. We demonstrate experimentally that this method is effective for the evaluation of the systematic errors of the cold atomic gravimeter. The systematic phase error induced by the quadratic Zeeman effect in the free-falling region is extracted by this method. The measured results correspond well with the theoretic prediction and also agree with the results obtained by the fringe fitting method for each T.     

Improved measurement of /V(cb)/ using B-->D*l nu decays

We determine the weak coupling /V(cb)/ between the b and c quarks using a sample of 3 x 10(6) BB; events in the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring. We determine the yield of reconstructed B-->D*l nu; decays as a function of w, the boost of the D* in the B rest frame, and from this we obtain the differential decay rate d Gamma/dw. By extrapolating d Gamma/dw to w=1, the kinematic end point at which the D* is at rest relative to the B, we extract the product /V(cb)/F(1), where F(1) is the form factor at w=1. Combined with theoretical results for F(1) we determine /V(cb)/=0.0469+/-0.0014(stat)+/-0.0020(syst)+/-0.0018(theor).     

Theory of optical ramsey resonance in three separated fields produced by a corner reflector

In this paper we study the optical Ramsey resonance signal of two-level molecules in three separated fields consisting of one standing wave and two traveling waves of opposite directions with each other. Their separations and phase differences are given by a corner reflector. The transition probability of a molecule that traverses the three interaction regions is calculated by using an optical Bloch vector formalism. It is then integrated over distributions of molecular velocities and positions to evaluate the signal observed with a gas cell. The result is applied to compute the optical Ramsey resonance signal in the absorption line of CH₄ at 3.39 μm. Variations of the Ramsey resonance lineshape and the intensity with the gas pressure and the field intensity are obtained.     

Fluctuating spin g-tensor in small metal grains

In the presence of spin-orbit scattering, the splitting of an energy level varepsilon(&mgr;) in a generic small metal grain due to the Zeeman coupling to a magnetic field B--> depends on the direction of B-->, as a result of mesoscopic fluctuations. The anisotropy is described by the eigenvalues g(2)(j) ( j = 1,2,3) of a tensor G, corresponding to the (squares of) g-factors along three principal axes. We consider the statistical distribution of G and find that the anisotropy is enhanced by eigenvalue repulsion between the g(j).     

Determinations of from inclusive semileptonic decays with reduced model dependence

We report two novel determinations of /|Vub/ with reduced model dependence, based on measurements of the mass distribution of the hadronic system in semileptonic B decays. Events are selected by fully reconstructing the decay of one B meson and identifying a charged lepton from the decay of the other B meson from Upsilon(4S)-->BB events. In one approach, we combine the inclusive B-->Xulambdav rate, integrated up to a maximum hadronic mass mX<1.67 GeV/c2, with a measurement of the inclusive B-->Xsgamma photon energy spectrum. We obtain /Vub/=(4.43+/-0.38stat+/-0.25syst+/-0.29theo) x 10-3. In another approach we measure the total B-->Xulambdav rate over the full phase space and find /Vub/=(3.84+/-0.70stat+/-0.30syst+/-0.10theo) x 10-3.     

Two-magnon relaxation reversal in ferrite spheres

The reversal of two-magnon relaxation associated with linear scattering of oscillations of uniform magnetization precession from sample nonuniformities is studied theoretically and experimentally in ferrite spheres of yttrium iron garnet (YIG). Relaxation reversal is performed by parametric phase conjugation of dipole-exchange spin waves formed as a result of scattering of uniform precession from inhomogeneities. As a result of two-magnon backward scattering of dipole-exchange spin waves with a certain time delay, magnetization oscillations are renewed with an amplitude that could exceed the initial amplitude of uniform precession. The relaxation reversal is due to crystallographic anisotropy of the sample and is manifested most strongly when a YIG sphere is magnetized along the intermediate axis [110]. Experiments were carried out on YIG spheres of diameter 0.65–1.05 mm for a parallel pumping frequency ω _p /2π ≈ 9.4 GHz, which is about twice the uniform precession frequency. The maximal delay time for the restored signal of uniform precession was about 2 μs, while the maximal amplitude exceeded the initial uniform precession amplitude by a factor of about 5. The “latent” relaxation parameters of ferrites, e.g., the natural ferromagnetic resonance linewidth associated with many-particle processes and the linewidth associated with two-magnon scattering at bulk nonuniformities, are determined experimentally.     

Precision measurement and compensation of optical stark shifts for an ion-trap quantum processor

Using optical Ramsey interferometry, we precisely measure the laser-induced ac-Stark shift on the S(1/2)-D(5/2) "quantum bit" transition near 729 nm in a single trapped 40Ca+ ion. We cancel this shift using an additional laser field. This technique is of particular importance for the implementation of quantum information processing with cold trapped ions. As a simple application we measure the atomic phase evolution during a n x 2 pi rotation of the quantum bit.