Frequency reproducibility of solid-state Th-229 nuclear clocks
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866911035834761216 |
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| author | Ooi, Tian Doyle, Jack F. Zhang, Chuankun Higgins, Jacob S. Ye, Jun Beeks, Kjeld Sikorsky, Tomas Schumm, Thorsten |
| author_facet | Ooi, Tian Doyle, Jack F. Zhang, Chuankun Higgins, Jacob S. Ye, Jun Beeks, Kjeld Sikorsky, Tomas Schumm, Thorsten |
| contents | Solid-state $^{229}$Th nuclear clocks are set to provide new opportunities for precision metrology and fundamental physics. Taking advantage of a nuclear transition's inherent low sensitivity to its environment, orders of magnitude more emitters can be hosted in a solid-state crystal compared to current optical lattice atomic clocks. Furthermore, solid-state systems needing only simple thermal control are key to the development of field-deployable compact clocks. In this work, we explore and characterize the frequency reproducibility of the $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ nuclear clock transition, a key performance metric for all clocks. We measure the transition linewidth and center frequency as a function of the doping concentration, temperature, and time. We report the concentration-dependent inhomogeneous linewidth of the nuclear transition, limited by the intrinsic host crystal properties. We determine an optimal working temperature for the $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ nuclear clock at 195(5) K where the first-order thermal sensitivity vanishes. This would enable in-situ temperature co-sensing using different quadrupole-split lines, reducing the temperature-induced systematic shift below the 10$^{-18}$ fractional frequency uncertainty level. At 195 K, the reproducibility of the nuclear transition frequency is 280 Hz (fractionally $1.4\times10^{-13}$) for two differently doped $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ crystals over four months. These results form the foundation for understanding, controlling, and harnessing the coherent nuclear excitation of $^{229}$Th in solid-state hosts, and for their applications in constraining temporal variations of fundamental constants. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_01180 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Frequency reproducibility of solid-state Th-229 nuclear clocks Ooi, Tian Doyle, Jack F. Zhang, Chuankun Higgins, Jacob S. Ye, Jun Beeks, Kjeld Sikorsky, Tomas Schumm, Thorsten Atomic Physics Nuclear Experiment Optics Quantum Physics Solid-state $^{229}$Th nuclear clocks are set to provide new opportunities for precision metrology and fundamental physics. Taking advantage of a nuclear transition's inherent low sensitivity to its environment, orders of magnitude more emitters can be hosted in a solid-state crystal compared to current optical lattice atomic clocks. Furthermore, solid-state systems needing only simple thermal control are key to the development of field-deployable compact clocks. In this work, we explore and characterize the frequency reproducibility of the $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ nuclear clock transition, a key performance metric for all clocks. We measure the transition linewidth and center frequency as a function of the doping concentration, temperature, and time. We report the concentration-dependent inhomogeneous linewidth of the nuclear transition, limited by the intrinsic host crystal properties. We determine an optimal working temperature for the $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ nuclear clock at 195(5) K where the first-order thermal sensitivity vanishes. This would enable in-situ temperature co-sensing using different quadrupole-split lines, reducing the temperature-induced systematic shift below the 10$^{-18}$ fractional frequency uncertainty level. At 195 K, the reproducibility of the nuclear transition frequency is 280 Hz (fractionally $1.4\times10^{-13}$) for two differently doped $^{229}$Th:CaF$_2$ crystals over four months. These results form the foundation for understanding, controlling, and harnessing the coherent nuclear excitation of $^{229}$Th in solid-state hosts, and for their applications in constraining temporal variations of fundamental constants. |
| title | Frequency reproducibility of solid-state Th-229 nuclear clocks |
| topic | Atomic Physics Nuclear Experiment Optics Quantum Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.01180 |