Proposal for a cesium lattice optical clock

Optical atomic clocks have demonstrated orders of magnitude enhancements in precision and accuracy compared to the microwave atomic clocks currently used as frequency standards and for most applications of time-keeping. Making high-performance optical atomic clocks more transportable by reducing their size, weight and power consumption (SWaP) could be transformative for many of these applications. We propose a cesium lattice optical clock (CLOC) using a forbidden transition in Cs atoms at 685 nm. The operation of this clock has the potential to be greatly simplified over current optical atomic clocks, requiring only two convenient diode laser wavelengths. We will present theoretical projections of the achievable stability and accuracy of the CLOC, which we predict to be on par with or superior to the very best microwave frequency standards.