Atomic oscillator, control method, and control device, incorporation by reference

A control method by an atomic oscillator, the atomic oscillator including:

• a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are encapsulated;
• a light generator that applies an irradiation light having at least two different frequency components to the gas cell;
• a light detector that detects a transmitted light having transmitted by the gas cell;
• and
• a controller that determines a resonance frequency of the alkali metal atoms based on a light amount of the transmitted light by the gas cell and controls an oscillation frequency based on the determined resonance frequency,
• the control method comprising:
• applying the irradiation light by two irradiation methods in which characteristics of change in the resonance frequency due to change in intensity of the irradiation light are different from each other;
• by the controller, controlling the oscillation frequency based on a result of comparison between the resonance frequencies when the irradiation light is applied to the gas cell by the two irradiation methods, respectively;
• and
• applying the irradiation light pulsed by a pulser in at least one of the two irradiation methods.

A control device included by an atomic oscillator, the atomic oscillator including:

• a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are encapsulated;
• a light generator that applies an irradiation light having at least two different frequency components to the gas cell;
• a light detector that detects a transmitted light having transmitted by the gas cell;
• and
• the control device that determines a resonance frequency of the alkali metal atoms based on a light amount of the transmitted light by the gas cell and controls an oscillation frequency based on the determined resonance frequency,
• the control device controlling to apply the irradiation light by two irradiation methods in which characteristics of change in the resonance frequency due to change in intensity of the irradiation light are different from each other, and the control device controlling the oscillation frequency based on a result of comparison between the resonance frequencies when the irradiation light is applied to the gas cell by the two irradiation methods, respectively;
• and
• applying the irradiation light pulsed by a pulser in at least one of the two irradiation methods.