Build an Atomic Clock

Insert Caesium Oven

In order to build our atomic clock, we first need to insert a Caesium 133 oven. 

Next, we need to build the detector, consisting of a Stern-Gerlach apparatus and two separate atom detectors.

Insert Atom Detectors

Back to start

Insert State Separator

Notice how both atom detectors are detecting about half of all the Caesium atoms. We need to insert a state separator after the oven to select only atoms in the ground state.

Insert Microwave Laser

Other components:

Remove State Separator

The state separator ensures that only atoms in the ground state make their way into the vacuum tube. All of them are detected by the top detector due to the second state separator.

9 192            Hz

9 192 638 248 Hz

9 192 631 770 Hz

Remove Microwave Laser

9 192 604 168 Hz

9 192 592 703 Hz

9 192 701 034 Hz

9 192 632 093 Hz

9 192 692 484 Hz

9 192 649 129 Hz

The microwave laser changes the state of the atoms, but since they are random it does not make difference in the detectors. We need to use a state separator. Also, the frequency of the quartz crystal is very unstable.

We are sending atoms in the ground state through the microwave laser, but the frequency is not on resonance. Try closing the feedback loop to tune the quartz crystal based on the detection outcomes.

Congratulations, the clock frequency is stable. You have built an atomic clock!

Break Feedback Loop