Exploiting Ion/Atom Cold Collisions in Atomic Clocks

Recent advances in laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms in magneto-optic traps (MOTs) would be exploited in ion-trap-based atomic clocks, according to a proposal. Beams of laser-cooled neutral atoms would be used to: (1) put the ions in the required quantum states (e.g., spin-polarize the ions) in preparation for quantum state transitions that define the clock frequencies, (2) cool the trapped ions to reduce clock instabilities from second-order Doppler shifts of clock frequencies, and (3) monitor the clock quantum state transitions. The cooling, state preparation, and monitoring would occur via ion/atom collisions.