Clock and inter-combination line frequency separation in $^{171}$Yb

Abstract

We have carried out concurrent optical frequency measurements of the $(6s^{2})\,^{1}S_{0} -(6s6p)\,^{3}P_{1}$ ($F=\frac{3}{2}$) and $(6s^{2})\,^{1}S_{0} -(6s6p)\,^{3}P_{0}$ transitions in $^{171}$Yb, and in so doing have determined the frequency separation between the $^{3}P_{0}$ ($F=\frac{1}{2}$) and $^{3}P_{1}$ ($F=\frac{3}{2}$) levels with an uncertainty in the ppb range. The knowledge of this frequency interval will aid experiments relying on the $^{1}S_{0}-\,^{3}P_{0}$ line in $^{171}$Yb and $^{173}$Yb without access to highly accurate frequency standards.