In-Situ Differential-Light-Shift Cancellation for Trapped-Atom Clocks

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Main Authors: Haase, Jan Simon, Fieguth, Alexander, Bröckel, Igor, Kruse, Jens, Klempt, Carsten
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866914426743947264
author Haase, Jan Simon
Fieguth, Alexander
Bröckel, Igor
Kruse, Jens
Klempt, Carsten
author_facet Haase, Jan Simon
Fieguth, Alexander
Bröckel, Igor
Kruse, Jens
Klempt, Carsten
contents Differential light shifts (DLS) induced by optical trapping fields fundamentally limit the stability and accuracy of trapped-atom microwave clocks. We demonstrate an in-situ method to cancel DLS by simultaneously interrogating multiple spatially separated atomic ensembles at different trap intensities generated from a common light source. By operating the ensembles at set intensity ratios and performing Ramsey spectroscopy, the intensity-dependent frequency shifts are measured within each experimental cycle and extrapolated to the zero-intensity limit. This approach effectively enables shot-to-shot determination of a DLS-free frequency without requiring magic wavelengths or species-specific cancellation schemes. We validate the method for Rb atoms trapped in time-averaged potentials by introducing controlled variations of the total trap power and show that the extrapolated frequency remains insensitive to these fluctuations. The technique is general and can be extended to other systematic shifts, providing a scalable route toward improved stability and accuracy in compact trapped-atom clocks and related quantum sensors relying on optical dipole traps
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_26398
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle In-Situ Differential-Light-Shift Cancellation for Trapped-Atom Clocks
Haase, Jan Simon
Fieguth, Alexander
Bröckel, Igor
Kruse, Jens
Klempt, Carsten
Atomic Physics
Quantum Physics
Differential light shifts (DLS) induced by optical trapping fields fundamentally limit the stability and accuracy of trapped-atom microwave clocks. We demonstrate an in-situ method to cancel DLS by simultaneously interrogating multiple spatially separated atomic ensembles at different trap intensities generated from a common light source. By operating the ensembles at set intensity ratios and performing Ramsey spectroscopy, the intensity-dependent frequency shifts are measured within each experimental cycle and extrapolated to the zero-intensity limit. This approach effectively enables shot-to-shot determination of a DLS-free frequency without requiring magic wavelengths or species-specific cancellation schemes. We validate the method for Rb atoms trapped in time-averaged potentials by introducing controlled variations of the total trap power and show that the extrapolated frequency remains insensitive to these fluctuations. The technique is general and can be extended to other systematic shifts, providing a scalable route toward improved stability and accuracy in compact trapped-atom clocks and related quantum sensors relying on optical dipole traps
title In-Situ Differential-Light-Shift Cancellation for Trapped-Atom Clocks
topic Atomic Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.26398