Ytterbium lattice clock with uncertainty of $1.1\times 10^{-18}$ and instability of low $10^{-19}$

Abstract

We report an optical lattice clock based on $^{171}$Yb atoms with a total systematic uncertainty of $1.1\times 10^{-18}$. In-vacuum buildup cavity was employed to enhance the lattice light power. Differential frequency measurement between two identical clocks facilitate the evaluation of systematic shifts. Synchronous comparison of the two clocks reached a stability level of $2.7\times 10^{-19}$ in an averaging time of 216,000 s. The magic frequency $ν_{\mathrm{zero}}$ was determined to be 394 798 258.3(1) MHz. Under typical operating conditions, the lattice light shift is controlled at an uncertainty level of $3\times 10^{-19}$. The blackbody radiation (BBR) shield which is placed in vacuum provides a well-characterized BBR environment, enabling an uncertainty contribution of $8.7\times 10^{-19}$ from the BBR Stark shift. Other systematic shifts have also been evaluated. The two clocks will be used for remote frequency comparisons between Shanghai and Wuhan.