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Advanced Technologies
for Optical Frequency Control and Optical Clocks:
A Multidisciplinary Research Program of the Department of
Defense University Research Initiative
An interdisciplinary group of investigators at the Research
Laboratory of Electronics at MIT have joined with collaborators
from industry and government laboratories to develop a set
of key technologies for advanced optical metrology and ultraprecise
optical clocks. This project, sponsored by the Office of Naval
Research through the Multidisciplinary Research Program of
the Department of Defense University Research Initiative (MURI),
seeks to seize the current opportunity to greatly increase
the precision of time and frequency standards that arises
from recent advances in ultrashort-pulse modelocked lasers
and in ultracold atom and ion physics.
A major goal of the program is the extend the accuracy of
optical metrology and frequency standards by application of
femtosecond technology to fundamental studies of ultracold
hydrogen. As a primary optical frequency standard, ultracold
hydrogen offers truly exciting possibilities because of the
narrow linewidth and high signal rates. This program will
seek to develop a new source of ultracold hydrogen with improved
optical access, perform precision 2S -nS spectroscopy in the
range of 720-800 nm, and develop the design and apparatus
needed for optical clock applications.
The MIT team is led by Professor Erich P. Ippen, and senior
investigators include professors Yoel Fink, Thomas J. Greytak,
Franz Kärtner, Leslie Kolodziejski, Daniel Kleppner,
and Jeffrey Shapiro, as well as Dr. Franco N. C. Wong. Collaborating
organizations include the Office of Naval Research, the Air
Force Research Laboratory, Lincoln Laboratory, Lucent Technologies,
Spectra-Physics, Omniguide Communications, and Nanolayers.
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