Trap-induced ac Zeeman shift of the thorium-229 nuclear clock frequency

Published

March 8, 2023

Author(s)

Kyle Beloy

Abstract

We identify a significant threat to the accuracy of the highly anticipated nuclear clock based on $^229}$Th$^3+}$ [C. J. Campbell \it et al.}, Phys.\ Rev.\ Lett.\ 108, 120802 (2012)]. In particular, we demonstrate that the clock is susceptible to parasitic rf magnetic fields associated with the ion trapping. For typical field strengths ($\sim\!\mu$T), the ac Zeeman shift to the clock frequency may exceed the projected systematic uncertainty of the clock by orders of magnitude. By developing a theoretical treatment that incorporates the effects of a dc magnetic field, we propose a means to suppress this problematic shift. Specifically, we show that the ac Zeeman shifts to the clock levels cancel to a high degree when operating with a large dc magnetic field, restoring prospects for unprecedented clock accuracy.

Citation

Physical Review Letters

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

atomic clock, nuclear clock

Citation

Beloy, K. (2023), Trap-induced ac Zeeman shift of the thorium-229 nuclear clock frequency, Physical Review Letters, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=934770 (Accessed June 2, 2023)