Spin squeezing in optical lattice clocks via lattice-based QND measurements

基于光晶格中的中性原子的光学原子钟在过去几年中取得了巨大的进展，现在可以与最高精度的时钟竞争。时钟精度的进一步提高受到原子投影噪声这一固有噪声源的阻碍。最近，我们提出了一种量子非爆破测量方案，它可以通过压缩原子布居分布来降低投影噪声。基于平均场计算的估计表明，该方案能够将原子布居分布压缩到标准量子极限以下。在这里提出的研究项目中，我计划更详细地研究该方案，将其与其他现有方案进行比较，并协助JILA的时钟实验。我也将在量子光学和精密计量学的一般背景下探索其他令人兴奋的前景，如腔QED，光学晶格动力学和相干原子光子信息交换。

Optical atomic clocks based on neutral atoms confined in optical lattices have made tremendous progress over the last few years and are now competitive with the highest precision clocks. Further progress of the clock precision is hampered by an intrinsic noise source, the atomic projection noise. Recently we have proposed a quantum non-demolition measurement scheme that can be used to reduce the projection noise by squeezing the atomic population distribution. Estimates based on mean field calculations have shown that this scheme is capable of squeezing the atomic population distribution below the standard quantum limit. In the research project proposed here I plan to study this scheme in more detail, compare it against other existing schemes and assist the clock experiment at JILA with the implementation. I will also explore other exciting prospects within the general context of quantum optics and precision metrology, such as cavity QED, optical lattice dynamics, and coherent atom-photon information exchange.