Patent ID: 11929186
Assignee: HRL LABORATORIES, LLC
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 10:
11. A method of creating a stable frequency reference, said method comprising:
(a) creating an atomic vapor of neutral atoms;
(b) collimating said neutral atoms in a collimator, to form a collimated beam of said neutral atoms;
(c) optionally, illuminating some of said neutral atoms with a cooling laser;
(d) illuminating at least some of said neutral atoms with a first probe laser at a first-probe-laser frequency;
(e) illuminating at least some of said neutral atoms with a second probe laser at a second-probe-laser frequency;
(f) adjusting said first-probe-laser frequency and said second-probe-laser frequency using Ramsey spectroscopy to an S→D transition of at least some of said neutral atoms; and
(g) illuminating at least some of said neutral atoms with a readout laser to determine a ground-state population of said neutral atoms.