Strontium COld atom package foR commercial oPtIcal clOcks

用于传感和计量的冷原子装置是最接近商业开发的。这门科学适用于一些高度发达的应用，在灵敏度方面提供了毫无疑问的性能优势，并且在制造更紧凑的系统方面已经取得了一些进展。但是为了真正的和广泛的应用，需要在这些系统的尺寸，重量和功率（SWAP）以及坚固性方面进行实质性的改进。SCORPIO项目关注的是开发构成光学晶格时钟核心的组件技术。实现锶原子磁光阱（MOT）的物理封装是中心组件，其中多级冷却和晶格制备为时钟查询提供了关键元素。光学晶格钟使用中性原子的跃迁作为量子频率参考，以非常高的精度提供计时。这个项目是商业锶时钟开发的关键部分，使用了世界上最稳定的时钟的技术。该项目将支持这种未来原子封装和腔室产品的领先工业能力的形成，这些产品将以英国为基地，因此也将受益于非itar地位。我们的两个合作伙伴组成的联盟拥有完成这个项目所需的所有关键专业知识。它由高度创新的商业合作伙伴MSL领导，MSL在将高质量激光器的新颖，最先进的技术推向市场方面拥有良好的记录。伯明翰大学是英国国家传感器和计量量子技术中心的领导者，这是一个耗资8000万英镑的创新项目，包括6所大学和70多个行业合作伙伴。因此，它提供了许多技术开发专家，他们具有光学时钟，重力传感器和模拟软件包方面的专业知识，以及使用重力传感器进行地下测绘和与潜在商业最终用户联系的土木工程专业知识。通过将真空技术与激光技术相结合进行测试，我们也将在未来基于Sr的原子钟的尺寸，功率和成本要求方面迈出独特的一步。迄今为止，这些组件都是单独开发的。然而，重要的是开发能够集成的系统，同时遵循类似的加固和小型化活动。该合作项目将开发明确的英国技术供应链，适用于各种应用，包括无卫星导航、金融交易的超高精度定时和用于地下探测的异常精确的重力仪。

Cold atom devices for sensing and metrology are the closest to commercial exploitation. The science is for someapplications highly developed and offers unquestioned performance advantages in sensitivity and some steps have beenmade at making more compact systems. But for genuine and widespread applications substantial improvements need to bemade in size, weight and power ('SWAP') and ruggedness of these systems.The project SCORPIO is concerned with developing a component technology that forms the core of an optical lattice clock.The physics packaged that enables a magneto optical trap (MOT) of strontium atoms is the central component in whichmulti-stage cooling and lattice preparation provides the key elements for clock interrogation.Optical lattice clocks use transitions in neutral atoms as quantum frequency references to deliver timing at very high levels of accuracy. This project forms a key part of the development of a commercial strontium clock, using techniques developedin the creation of the world's most stable clocks.The project will support the nucleation of a leading industrial capability for such future atomics packages and chamberproducts, which will be UK based and also therefore benefit from non-ITAR status.Our consortium of 2 partners has all of the critical expertise required to prosecute this project. It is led by the highlyinnovative commercial partner MSL who have a proven track record in bringing novel, state of the art technology in highquality lasers to market. University of Birmingham is leading of the UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors andMetrology, an £80M innovation project including 6 University and over 70 industry partners. As such it provides a number oftechnology development specialists with expertise in optical clocks, gravity sensors and simulation packages in addition tocivil engineering expertise in the use of gravity sensors for underground mapping and links to potential commercial endusers.By combining the vacuum technology with laser technology through to testing we will also be making unique steps towardsa significant step down in size, power and cost requirements of a future Sr based atomic clock.To-date these components have been developed in isolation. It is important, however, to develop systems that canintegrate whilst following a similar ruggedisation and miniaturisation activities. This collaborative programme will develop aclear supply chain of UK-based technology suitable for various applications ranging from satellite-free navigation, ultra-highprecision timing for financial trades and exceptionally-precise gravetometers for sub-surface detection.