Deng Siminda, Ren Wei, Xiang Jingfeng, Zhao Jianbo, Li Lin, Zhang Di, Wan JinYin, Meng Yanling, Jiang XiaoJun, Li Tang, Liu Liang, Lü Desheng
Aerospace Laser Technology and Systems Department, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China.
Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, No. 390 Qinghe Road, Jiading District, Shanghai, 201800, China.
NPJ Microgravity. 2024 Jun 6;10(1):66. doi: 10.1038/s41526-024-00407-2.
Atomic clocks with higher frequency stability and accuracy than traditional space-borne atomic clocks are the cornerstone of long-term autonomous operation of space-time-frequency systems. We proposed a space cold atoms clock based on an intracavity cooling scheme, which captures cold atoms at the center of a microwave cavity and then executes in situ interactions between the cold atoms and microwaves. As a result of the microgravity environment in space, the cold atoms can interact with the microwaves for a longer time, which aids in realizing a high-precision atomic clock in space. This paper presents the overall design, operational characteristics, and reliability test results of the space atomic clock based on the intracavity cooling scheme designed for the operation onboard the China space station. In addition, the engineering prototype performance of the space cold atoms microwave clock is also presented. The ground test results for the clock show a fractional frequency stability of 1.1 × 10 τ reaching 2.5 × 10 at 200,000 s, providing solid technical and data support for its future operation in orbit.
频率稳定性和准确性高于传统星载原子钟的原子钟是时空频率系统长期自主运行的基石。我们提出了一种基于腔内冷却方案的空间冷原子钟，该方案在微波腔中心捕获冷原子，然后在冷原子和微波之间进行原位相互作用。由于空间中的微重力环境，冷原子可以与微波相互作用更长时间，这有助于在太空中实现高精度原子钟。本文介绍了基于为中国空间站运行而设计的腔内冷却方案的空间原子钟的总体设计、运行特性和可靠性测试结果。此外，还介绍了空间冷原子微波钟的工程原型性能。该时钟的地面测试结果表明，其分数频率稳定性在200,000秒时达到1.1×10 τ，在200,000秒时达到2.5×10，为其未来在轨运行提供了坚实的技术和数据支持。
