|
Dick Effect
The Dick effect (hereinafter; "the effect") is an important limitation to frequency stability for modern atomic clocks such as atomic fountains and optical lattice clocks. It is an aliasing effect: High frequency noise in a required ''local oscillator'' (LO) is aliased (heterodyned) to near zero frequency by a periodic interrogation process that locks the frequency of the LO to that of the atoms. The noise mimics and adds to the clock's inherent statistical instability, which is determined by the number of atoms or photons available. In so doing, the effect degrades the stability of the atomic clock and places new and stringent demands on LO performance. For any given interrogation protocol, the effect can be calculated using a quantum-mechanical ''sensitivity function'', together with the spectral properties of the LO noise. This calculational methodology, introduced by G. John Dick, is now widely used in the design of advanced microwave and optical frequency standards, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atomic Clocks
An atomic clock is a clock that measures time by monitoring the resonant frequency of atoms. It is based on atoms having different energy levels. Electron states in an atom are associated with different energy levels, and in transitions between such states they interact with a very specific frequency of electromagnetic radiation. This phenomenon serves as the basis for the International System of Units' (SI) definition of a second: The second, symbol s, is the SI unit of time. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the caesium frequency, \Delta \nu_\text, the unperturbed ground-state hyperfine transition frequency of the caesium-133 atom, to be when expressed in the unit Hz, which is equal to s−1. This definition is the basis for the system of International Atomic Time (TAI), which is maintained by an ensemble of atomic clocks around the world. The system of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) that is the basis of civil time implements leap seconds to allow cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
