Compact cold atom clock for on-board timebase: tests in reduced gravity

Abstract

We present a compact atomic clock using cold rubidium atoms based on an isotropic light cooling, a Ramsey microwave interrogation and an absorption detection. Its technology readiness level is suitable to industrial transfer. We use a fibre optical bench, based on a frequency-doubled telecom laser. The isotropic light cooling technique allows us to cool down the atoms in 100 ms and works with a cycle time around 200 ms. We carried out measurements in simulated microgravity and obtained the narrowest fringes ever recorded in microgravity.