Rugged, Compact Atomic Clock Laser with a Path Toward Flight Qualification

Optical atomic clocks are more frequency stable than any other atomic clock system. Deploying these atomic clocks to remote locations would permit exploration of relativistic geodesy, general relativity, and tests of variations of fundamental constants. These optical atomic clocks require a highly frequency stable clock probe laser with fractional frequency instabilities of less than 1x10-14. Unfortunately, these types of laser systems are currently limited to laboratory use due to size, power consumption, and the electronics required to support the operation of such lasers. The development of a compact frequency stable atomic clock probe laser with low SWaP would permit the development of optical atomic clocks capable of being deployed in the field.

Portable atomic clock systems Relativistic geodesy Tests of fundamental constants Precision time keeping and navigation GPS denied environment time keeping and navigation Gravitational wave detection

World-wide time standard Dark matter experiments

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