Stanford PNT hollberg Nov07 b - Stanford Center for Position ...

OPTICS + atoms/molecules new capabilities
• Cold atoms, stable lasers and femotosecond optical frequency combs
having tremendous impact on fundamental science, precision measurements,
and metrology
• Optical/Laser era in frequency standards and precision timing, spectroscopy …
• Already providing lowest phase-noise, timing jitter
– fs jitter soon common place
– Lowest phase noise microwave signals
• Some applications of stable sources and combs
– new capabilities for science fundamental physics
– Ultralow timing jitter, ultrafast sampling A/D, synchronization
– Frequency standard precision spanning the spectrum 1 GHz to 500 THz +
– Stabilized fs optical frequency combs enabling several new directions in
spectroscopy, Fourier synthesis
• Chip Scale Atomic Devices – practical route to bring atomic precision to
field devices
– Combination of MEMS, diode lasers, atomic physics
– Clocks, Magnetometers, Gyros ..