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Atomic lattice clocks have spurred numerous ideas for tests of fundamental physics, detection of general relativistic effects and studies of interacting many-body systems. On the other hand, molecular structure and dynamics offer rich energy scales that are at the heart of new protocols in precision measurement and quantum information science. Here, we demonstrate a fundamentally distinct type of lattice clock that is based on vibrations in diatomic molecules, and present coherent Rabi oscillations between weakly and deeply bound molecules that persist for tens of milliseconds. This control is made possible by a state-insensitive magic lattice trap that weakly couples to molecular vibronic resonances and enhances the coherence time of light-induced clock state superpositions by several orders of magnitude. The achieved quality factor Q = 8 × 1011 results from 30 Hz narrow resonances for a 25 THz clock transition in Sr2 molecules. Our technique of extended coherent manipulation is applicable to long-term storage of quantum information in qubits based on ultracold polar molecules, while the vibrational clock enables precise probes of interatomic forces, tests of Newtonian gravitation at ultrashort range and model-independent searches for electron-to-proton mass ratio variations. The realization of a molecular lattice clock based on vibrations in diatomic molecules is reported with coherence times lasting over tens of milliseconds, which is enabled by the use of a state-insensitive magic lattice trap.

Clocks that are based on atomic and molecular transitions can serve as unparalleled sensors of fundamental phenomena. In particular, a clock based on vibrations in a diatomic molecule is a highly precise sensor of the interatomic force, including possible contributions from new physics. Such a clock is also of metrological interest, since vibrational states in homonuclear molecules have extremely long lifetimes. We present the technique of near-resonant magic-wavelength trapping for strontium dimers, which allows us to reach coherence times exceeding 100 ms for far-separated vibrational state superpositions. The development of the molecular clock is accelerated through state-of-the-art quantum chemistry work.

We report efficient all-optical creation of an ultracold gas of alkaline-earth-metal dimers, $^{88}\rm{Sr}_2$, in their absolute ground state. Starting with weakly bound singlet molecules formed by narrow-line photoassociation in an optical lattice, followed by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) via a singlet-dominant channel in the $(1)0_u^+$ excited potential, we prepare pure samples of more than 5500 molecules in $X^1\Sigma_g^+(v=0,J=0)$. We observe two-body collisional loss rates close to the universal limit for both the least bound and most bound vibrational states in $X^1\Sigma_g^+$. We demonstrate the enhancement of STIRAP efficiency in a magic-wavelength optical lattice where thermal decoherence is eliminated. Our results pave the way for the use of alkaline-earth-metal dimers for high-precision spectroscopy, and indicate favorable prospects for robust quantum state preparation of ultracold molecules involving closed-shell atoms, as well as molecule assembly in deep optical traps tuned to a magic wavelength.

Optical trapping of molecules with long coherence times is crucial for many protocols in quantum information and metrology. However, the factors that limit the lifetimes of the trapped molecules remain elusive and require improved understanding of the underlying molecular structure. Here we show that measurements of vibronic line strengths in weakly and deeply bound $^{88}$Sr$_2$ molecules, combined with \textit{ab initio} calculations, allow for unambiguous identification of vibrational quantum numbers. This, in turn, enables the construction of refined excited potential energy curves that inform the selection of magic wavelengths which facilitate long vibrational coherence. We demonstrate Rabi oscillations between far-separated vibrational states that persist for nearly 100 ms.

Cold molecules provide an excellent platform for quantum information, cold chemistry, and precision measurement. Certain molecules have enhanced sensitivity to beyond Standard Model physics, such as the electron's electric dipole moment ($e$EDM). Molecular ions are easily trappable and are therefore particularly attractive for precision measurements where sensitivity scales with interrogation time. Here, we demonstrate a spin precession measurement with second-scale coherence at the quantum projection noise (QPN) limit with hundreds of trapped molecular ions, chosen for their sensitivity to the $e$EDM rather than their amenability to state control and readout. Orientation-resolved resonant photodissociation allows us to simultaneously measure two quantum states with opposite $e$EDM sensitivity, reaching the QPN limit and fully exploiting the high count rate and long coherence., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

We present a practical roadmap to achieve optical cycling and laser cooling of asymmetric top molecules (ATMs). Our theoretical analysis describes how reduced molecular symmetry, as compared to diatomic and symmetric non-linear molecules, plays a role in photon scattering. We present methods to circumvent limitations on rapid photon cycling in these systems. We calculate vibrational branching ratios for a diverse set of asymmetric top molecules and find that many species within a broad class of molecules can be effectively cooled with a manageable number of lasers. We also describe methods to achieve rotationally closed optical cycles in ATMs. Despite significant structural complexity, laser cooling can be made effective using extensions of the current techniques used for linear molecules. Potential scientific impacts of laser-cooled ATMs span frontiers in controlled chemistry, quantum simulation, and searches for physics beyond the Standard Model., Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures

The Cold molecule Nuclear Time-Reversal EXperiment (CeNTREX) is a new effort aiming for a significant increase in sensitivity over the best present upper bounds on the strength of hadronic time reversal ($T$) violating fundamental interactions. The experimental signature will be shifts in nuclear magnetic resonance frequencies of $^{205}$Tl in electrically-polarized thallium fluoride (TlF) molecules. Here we describe the motivation for studying these $T$-violating interactions and for using TlF to do so. To achieve higher sensitivity than earlier searches for $T$-violation in TlF, CeNTREX uses a cryogenic molecular beam source, optical state preparation and detection, and modern methods of coherent quantum state manipulation. Details of the measurement scheme and the current state of the apparatus are presented, with quantitative measurements of the TlF beam. Finally, the estimated sensitivity and methods to control systematic errors are discussed., Comment: 24 pages

Vibrational branching ratios in the $B{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}^{+}$--$X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}^{+}$ and $A{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}$--$X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}^{+}$ optical-cycling transitions of BaH molecules are investigated using measurements and ab initio calculations. The experimental values are determined using fluorescence and absorption detection. The observed branching ratios have a very sensitive dependence on the difference in the equilibrium bond length between the excited and ground state, $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{r}_{e}$: a 1-pm (0.5%) displacement can have a 25% effect on the branching ratios but only a 1% effect on the lifetime. The measurements are combined with theoretical calculations to reveal a preference for a particular set of published spectroscopic values for the $B{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}^{+}$ state ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{r}_{e}^{B--X}=+5.733\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{pm}$), while a larger bond-length difference ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{r}_{e}^{B--X}=6.3--6.7$ pm) would match the branching-ratio data even better. By contrast, the observed branching ratio for the $A{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{3/2}$--$X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}^{+}$ transition is in excellent agreement with both the ab initio result and the spectroscopically measured bond lengths. This shows that care must be taken when estimating branching ratios for molecular laser cooling candidates, as small errors in bond-length measurements can have outsize effects on the suitability for laser cooling. Additionally, our calculations agree more closely with experimental values of the $B{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}^{+}$ state lifetime and spin-rotation constant, and revise the predicted lifetime of the $H{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$ state to 9.5 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$.

Suppressed density fluctuations of 40 K 87 Rb gases inhibit molecular collisions and reactions

There is strong astrophysical evidence that dark matter (DM) makes up some 27% of all mass in the universe. Yet, beyond gravitational interactions, little is known about its properties or how it may connect to the Standard Model. Multiple frameworks have been proposed, and precision measurements at low energy have proven useful to help restrict the parameter space for many of these models. One set of models predicts that DM is a scalar field that “clumps” into regions of high local density, rather than being uniformly distributed throughout the galaxy. If this DM field couples to a Standard Model field, its interaction with matter can be thought of as changing the effective values of fundamental constants. One generic consequence of time variation of fundamental constants (or their spatial variation as the Earth passes through regions of varying density) is the presence of an anomalous, composition-dependent acceleration. Here we show how this anomalous acceleration can be measured using superconducting accelerometers, and demonstrate that > 20 years of archival data from the International Geodynamics and Earth Tide Services (IGETS) network can be utilized to set new bounds on these models. Furthermore, we show how LIGO and other gravitational wave detectors can be used as exquisitely sensitive probes for narrow ranges of the parameter space. While limited to DM models that feature spatial gradients, these two techniques complement the networks of precision measurement devices already in use for direct detection and identification of dark matter.

At ultralow energies, atoms and molecules undergo collisions and reactions that are best described in terms of quantum mechanical wave functions. In contrast, at higher energies these processes can be understood quasiclassically. Here, we investigate the crossover from the quantum mechanical to the quasiclassical regime both experimentally and theoretically for photodissociation of ultracold diatomic strontium molecules. This basic reaction is carried out with a full control of quantum states for the molecules and their photofragments. The photofragment angular distributions are imaged, and calculated using a quantum mechanical model as well as the WKB and a semiclassical approximation that are explicitly compared across a range of photofragment energies. The reaction process is shown to converge to its high-energy (axial recoil) limit when the energy exceeds the height of any reaction barriers. This phenomenon is quantitatively investigated for two-channel photodissociation using intuitive parameters for the channel amplitude and phase. While the axial recoil limit is generally found to be well described by a commonly used quasiclassical model, we find that when the photofragments are identical particles, their bosonic or fermionic quantum statistics can cause this model to fail, requiring a quantum mechanical treatment even at high energies., 13 pages, 6 figures

Photodissociation of a molecule produces a spatial distribution of photofragments determined by the molecular structure and the characteristics of the dissociating light. Performing this basic chemical reaction at ultracold temperatures allows its quantum mechanical features to dominate. In this regime, weak applied fields can be used to control the reaction. Here, we photodissociate ultracold diatomic strontium in magnetic fields below 10 G and observe striking changes in photofragment angular distributions. The observations are in excellent qualitative agreement with a multichannel quantum chemistry model that includes nonadiabatic effects and predicts strong mixing of partial waves in the photofragment energy continuum. The experiment is enabled by precise quantum-state control of the molecules., 8 pages, 3 figures

Barium monohydride (BaH) is an attractive candidate for extending laser cooling and trapping techniques to diatomic hydrides. The apparatus and high-resolution optical spectroscopy presented here demonstrate progress toward this goal. A cryogenic buffer-gas-cooled molecular beam of BaH was constructed and characterized. Pulsed laser ablation into cryogenic helium buffer gas delivers $\sim1\times10^{10}$ molecules/sr/pulse in the X$^2\Sigma^+$ ($v''=0,N''=1$) state of primary interest. More than $1\times10^7$ of these molecules per pulse enter the downstream science region with forward velocities below 100 m/s and transverse temperature of 0.1 K. This molecular beam enabled high-resolution optical spectra of BaH in quantum states relevant to laser slowing and cooling. The reported measurements include hyperfine structure and magnetic $g$ factors in the X$^2\Sigma^+$, B$^2\Sigma^+$, and A$^2\Pi_{1/2}$ states., Comment: Improved velocity distributions

We report efficient on-chip Turing pattern formation, uniquely enabled by mode-hybridization induced phase matching. Destabilization of Turing pattern is circumvented, thereby achieving unprecedented pump depletion and record high external pump-to-comb conversion efficiency of 45%.

We report chip-scale Turing frequency comb with narrow linewidth of 9 kHz and long term stability of 160 kHz on THz carriers. The Turing comb is transferred onto a plasmonic photomixer, achieving 600 μW terahertz radiation with high 1.1% optical-to-terahertz power conversion at room temperature.

Frequency stabilization to 0.3 parts per quadrillion is demonstrated on chip, opening new frontiers in precision metrology., Optical frequency combs—coherent light sources that connect optical frequencies with microwave oscillations—have become the enabling tool for precision spectroscopy, optical clockwork, and attosecond physics over the past decades. Current benchmark systems are self-referenced femtosecond mode-locked lasers, but Kerr nonlinear dynamics in high-Q solid-state microresonators has recently demonstrated promising features as alternative platforms. The advance not only fosters studies of chip-scale frequency metrology but also extends the realm of optical frequency combs. We report the full stabilization of chip-scale optical frequency combs. The microcomb’s two degrees of freedom, one of the comb lines and the native 18-GHz comb spacing, are simultaneously phase-locked to known optical and microwave references. Active comb spacing stabilization improves long-term stability by six orders of magnitude, reaching a record instrument-limited residual instability of 3.6mHz/τ. Comparing 46 nitride frequency comb lines with a fiber laser frequency comb, we demonstrate the unprecedented microcomb tooth-to-tooth relative frequency uncertainty down to 50 mHz and 2.7 × 10−16, heralding novel solid-state applications in precision spectroscopy, coherent communications, and astronomical spectrography.

We describe a simple experimental apparatus for laser ablation of barium monohydride (BaH) molecules and the study of their rovibrational spectra that are relevant to direct laser cooling. We present a detailed analysis of the properties of ablation plumes that can improve the understanding of surface ablation and deposition technologies. A range of absorption spectroscopy and collisional thermalization regimes has been studied. We directly measured the Franck-Condon factor of the $\mathrm{B}^2\Sigma^+(v'=0)\leftarrow\mathrm{X}^2\Sigma^+(v"=1)$ transition. Prospects for production of a high luminosity cryogenic BaH beam are outlined. This molecule is a promising candidate for laser cooling and ultracold fragmentation, both of which are precursors to novel experiments in many-body physics and precision measurement., Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures

In nonlinear microresonators driven by continuous-wave (cw) lasers, Turing patterns have been studied in the formalism of the Lugiato-Lefever equation with emphasis on their high coherence and exceptional robustness against perturbations. Destabilization of Turing patterns and the transition to spatiotemporal chaos, however, limit the available energy carried in the Turing rolls and prevent further harvest of their high coherence and robustness to noise. Here, we report a novel scheme to circumvent such destabilization, by incorporating the effect of local mode hybridizations, and we attain globally stable Turing pattern formation in chip-scale nonlinear oscillators with significantly enlarged parameter space, achieving a record-high power-conversion efficiency of 45% and an elevated peak-to-valley contrast of 100. The stationary Turing pattern is discretely tunable across 430 GHz on a THz carrier, with a fractional frequency sideband nonuniformity measured at 7.3×10^{−14}. We demonstrate the simultaneous microwave and optical coherence of the Turing rolls at different evolution stages through ultrafast optical correlation techniques. The free-running Turing-roll coherence, 9 kHz in 200 ms and 160 kHz in 20 minutes, is transferred onto a plasmonic photomixer for one of the highest-power THz coherent generations at room temperature, with 1.1% optical-to-THz power conversion. Its long-term stability can be further improved by more than 2 orders of magnitude, reaching an Allan deviation of 6×10^{−10} at 100 s, with a simple computer-aided slow feedback control. The demonstrated on-chip coherent high-power Turing-THz system is promising to find applications in astrophysics, medical imaging, and wireless communications.

We study the coherent comb formation by a bichromatic pump and detail noise state transitions by detuning the seeding. We also show comb spacing in a coherent state can be tuned by 40 MHz. The work paves a way towards coherently tunable comb oscillator for chip-scale RF-optical frequency division and clockworks.

The photodissociation of 88Sr2 molecules is examined at ultracold temperatures with a high degree of control, and a wealth of quantum effects such as barrier tunnelling, matter—wave interference of reaction products and forbidden pathways are observed Chemistry is beginning to benefit from the advances made by atomic physicists working with ultracold molecules. In particular, reaching the quantum regime and looking at basic chemical processes in this regime could yield rich insights into the basic building blocks of chemistry. Here, Tanya Zelevinsky and colleagues look at the photodissociation of ultracold 88Sr2 molecules and cleanly observe a wealth of quantum effects, including barrier tunnelling, matter–wave interference of reaction products and forbidden reaction pathways. The high level of control may allow for high-precision measurement of important quantities, such as long-range molecular potentials, in the future. Chemical reactions at ultracold temperatures are expected to be dominated by quantum mechanical effects. Although progress towards ultracold chemistry has been made through atomic photoassociation1, Feshbach resonances2 and bimolecular collisions3, these approaches have been limited by imperfect quantum state selectivity. In particular, attaining complete control of the ground or excited continuum quantum states has remained a challenge. Here we achieve this control using photodissociation, an approach that encodes a wealth of information in the angular distribution of outgoing fragments. By photodissociating ultracold 88Sr2 molecules with full control of the low-energy continuum, we access the quantum regime of ultracold chemistry, observing resonant and nonresonant barrier tunnelling, matter–wave interference of reaction products and forbidden reaction pathways. Our results illustrate the failure of the traditional quasiclassical model of photodissociation4,5,6,7 and instead are accurately described by a quantum mechanical model8,9. The experimental ability to produce well-defined quantum continuum states at low energies will enable high-precision studies of long-range molecular potentials for which accurate quantum chemistry models are unavailable, and may serve as a source of entangled states and coherent matter waves for a wide range of experiments in quantum optics10,11.

We describe the application of high accuracy Srspectroscopy to the measurement of the variation of thefundamental constants of nature. We first describe recent progressof the JILA Sr optical frequency standard, with a systematicuncertainty evaluation at the 10-16 fractional frequencylevel. Using recent internationally based measurements of the Srclock frequency, we show improved constraints of gravitational andtemporal changes in the fine structure constant and theelectron-proton mass ratio. Finally, we describe how ultracoldatomic strontium, confined in an optical lattice, can beassociated into molecular dimers and be used for amodel-independent measurement of the variation of theelectron-proton mass ratio.

The absolute frequency of the 1S0-3P0 clock transition of 87Sr has been measured to be 429 228 004 229 873.65 (37) Hz using lattice-confined atoms, where the fractional uncertainty of 8.6x10-16 represents one of the most accurate measurements of an atomic transition frequency to date. After a detailed study of systematic effects, which reduced the total systematic uncertainty of the Sr lattice clock to 1.5x10-16, the clock frequency is measured against a hydrogen maser which is simultaneously calibrated to the US primary frequency standard, the NIST Cs fountain clock, NIST-F1. The comparison is made possible using a femtosecond laser based optical frequency comb to phase coherently connect the optical and microwave spectral regions and by a 3.5 km fiber transfer scheme to compare the remotely located clock signals.

Optical atomic clocks promise timekeeping at the highest precision and accuracy, owing to their high operating frequencies. Rigorous evaluations of these clocks require direct comparisons between them. We have realized a high-performance remote comparison of optical clocks over km-scale urban distances, a key step for development, dissemination, and application of these optical standards. Through this remote comparison and a proper design of lattice-confined neutral atoms for clock operation, we evaluate the uncertainty of a strontium (Sr) optical lattice clock at the 1x10-16 fractional level, surpassing the best current evaluations of cesium (Cs) primary standards. We also report on the observation of density-dependent effects in the spin-polarized fermionic sample and discuss the current limiting effect of blackbody radiation-induced frequency shifts., To be published in Science, 2008

In weakly bound diatomic molecules, energy levels are closely spaced and thus more susceptible to mixing by magnetic fields than in the constituent atoms. We use this effect to control the strengths of forbidden optical transitions in $^{88}$Sr$_2$ over 5 orders of magnitude with modest fields by taking advantage of the intercombination-line threshold. The physics behind this remarkable tunability is accurately explained with both a simple model and quantum chemistry calculations, and suggests new possibilities for molecular clocks. We show how mixed quantization in an optical lattice can simplify molecular spectroscopy. Furthermore, our observation of formerly inaccessible $f$-parity excited states offers an avenue for improving theoretical models of divalent-atom dimers., 8 pages, 4 figures

The study of ultracold molecules tightly trapped in an optical lattice can expand the frontier of precision measurement and spectroscopy, and provide a deeper insight into molecular and fundamental physics. Here we create, probe, and image microkelvin $^{88}$Sr$_2$ molecules in a lattice, and demonstrate precise measurements of molecular parameters as well as coherent control of molecular quantum states using optical fields. We discuss the sensitivity of the system to dimensional effects, a new bound-to-continuum spectroscopy technique for highly accurate binding energy measurements, and prospects for new physics with this rich experimental system., 12 pages, 4 figures

For atoms or molecules in optical lattices, conventional thermometry methods are often unsuitable due to low particle numbers or a lack of cycling transitions. However, a differential spectroscopic light shift can map temperature onto the line shape with a low sensitivity to trap anharmonicity. We study narrow molecular transitions to demonstrate precise frequency-based lattice thermometry, as well as carrier cooling. This approach should be applicable down to nanokelvin temperatures. We also discuss how the thermal light shift can affect the accuracy of optical lattice clocks., 7 pages, 4 figures. Final version

Weakly bound molecules have physical properties without atomic analogues, even as the bond length approaches dissociation. In particular, the internal symmetries of homonuclear diatomic molecules result in formation of two-body superradiant and subradiant excited states. While superradiance has been demonstrated in a variety of systems, subradiance is more elusive due to the inherently weak interaction with the environment. Here we characterize the properties of deeply subradiant molecular states with intrinsic quality factors exceeding $10^{13}$ via precise optical spectroscopy with the longest molecule-light coherent interaction times to date. We find that two competing effects limit the lifetimes of the subradiant molecules, with different asymptotic behaviors. The first is radiative decay via weak magnetic-dipole and electric-quadrupole interactions. We prove that its rate increases quadratically with the bond length, confirming quantum mechanical predictions. The second is nonradiative decay through weak gyroscopic predissociation, with a rate proportional to the vibrational mode spacing and sensitive to short-range physics. This work bridges the gap between atomic and molecular metrology based on lattice-clock techniques, yielding new understanding of long-range interatomic interactions and placing ultracold molecules at the forefront of precision measurements., 12 pages, 6 figures

We demonstrate feedback and harmonic locking of chip-scale slot-type optomechanical oscillators to external low-noise reference clocks, with suppressed timing jitter by three orders of magnitude. The feedback and compensation techniques significantly reduce the close-to-carrier phase noise, especially within the locking bandwidth for the integral root-mean-square timing jitter. Harmonic locking via high-order carrier signals is also demonstrated with similar phase noise and integrated root-mean-square timing jitter reduction. The chip-scale optomechanical oscillators are tunable over an 80-kHz range by tracking the reference clock, with potential applications in tunable radio-frequency photonics platforms.

We demonstrated feedback and harmonic locking of chip-scale slot-type optomechanical oscillators to external low-noise reference clocks, with suppressed timing jitter by three orders of magnitude at close-to-carrier offset frequencies.

We have produced large samples of stable ultracold $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}_{2}$ molecules in the electronic ground state in an optical lattice. The fast, all-optical method of molecule creation involves a near-intercombination-line photoassociation pulse followed by spontaneous emission with a near-unity Franck-Condon factor. The detection uses excitation to a weakly bound electronically excited vibrational level corresponding to a very large dimer and yields a high-$Q$ molecular vibronic resonance. This is the first of two steps needed to create deeply bound $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}_{2}$ for frequency metrology and ultracold chemistry.

Two separate teams have achieved the long sought after Bose-Einstein condensation of strontium.

Precision measurements with ultracold molecules require development of robust and sensitive techniques to produce and interrogate the molecules. With this goal, we theoretically analyze factors that affect frequency measurements between rovibrational levels of the Sr$_2$ molecule in the electronic ground state. This measurement can be used to constrain the possible time variation of the proton-electron mass ratio. Sr$_2$ is expected to be a strong candidate for achieving high precision due to the spinless nature and ease of cooling and perturbation-free trapping of Sr \cite{Zelevinsky2008}. The analysis includes calculations of two-photon transition dipole moments between deeply and weakly bound vibrational levels, lifetimes of intermediate excited states, and Stark shifts of the vibrational levels by the optical lattice field, including possibilities of Stark-cancellation trapping., 8 pages, 10 figures

Cooling and trapping of neutral atoms using laser techniques has enabled extensive progress in precise, coherent spectroscopy. In particular, trapping ultracold atoms in optical lattices in a tight confinement regime allows us to perform high-resolution spectroscopy unaffected by atomic motion. We report on the recent developments of optical lattice atomic clocks that have led to optical spectroscopy coherent at the one second timescale. The lattice clock techniques also open a promising pathway toward trapped ultracold molecules and the possible precision measurement opportunities such molecules offer.

We report on our recent evaluations of stability and accuracy of the JILA Sr optical lattice clock. We discuss precision tools for the lattice clock, including a stabilized clock laser with sub-Hz linewidth, fs-comb based technology allowing accurate clock comparison in both the microwave and optical domains, and clock transfer over optical fiber in an urban environment. High resolution spectroscopy (Q > 2 × 10) of lattice-confined, spin-polarized strontium atoms is used for both a high-performance optical clock and atomic structure measurement. Using a Ca optical standard for comparison, the overall systematic uncertainty of the Sr clock is reduced to < 2 × 10.