Method and system for operating an atomic clock with simultaneous locking of field and frequency

A system for operating an atomic clock comprising:

• means for optically pumping atoms into a ground-state sublevel of maximum or minimum spin from which end resonances can be excited;
• means for simultaneously exciting a microwave end resonance and a Zeeman end resonance from a same end state of the atoms using either:
• means for pumping the atoms with constant-intensity, circularly-polarized optical pumping light and applying two alternating magnetic fields, one of the alternating magnetic fields oscillating at a microwave frequency of the microwave end resonance and the other of the alternating magnetic fields oscillating at a radio frequency of the Zeeman end resonance, or
• means for pumping the atoms with modulated circularly-polarized optical pumping light simultaneously modulated at the frequency of the microwave end resonance and at the frequency of the Zeeman end resonance to produce coherent population trapping resonances;
• and
• means for detecting that the microwave end resonance and Zeeman end resonance have been excited.

A method for operating a magnetometer comprising the steps of:

• a. optically pumping atoms into a ground-state sublevel of maximum or minimum spin from which end resonances can be excited;
• b. simultaneously exciting a microwave end resonance and a Zeeman end resonance from a same end state of the atoms either by:
• pumping the atoms with constant-intensity, circularly-polarized optical pumping light and applying two alternating magnetic fields, one of the alternating magnetic fields oscillating at a microwave frequency of the microwave end resonance and the other of the alternating magnetic fields oscillating at a radio frequency of the Zeeman end resonance, or
• pumping the atoms with modulated circularly-polarized optical pumping light simultaneously modulated at the frequency of the microwave end resonance and at the frequency of the Zeeman end resonance to produce coherent population trapping resonances;
• and
• c. detecting that the microwave end resonance and Zeeman end resonance have been excited.

A system for operating a magnetometer comprising:

• means for optically pumping atoms into a ground-state sublevel of maximum or minimum spin from which end resonances can be excited;
• means for simultaneously exciting a microwave end resonance and a Zeeman end resonance from a same end state of the atoms using either:
• means for pumping the atoms with constant-intensity, circularly-polarized optical pumping light and applying two alternating magnetic fields, one of the alternating magnetic fields oscillating at a microwave frequency of the microwave end resonance and the other of the alternating magnetic fields oscillating at a radio frequency of the Zeeman end resonance, or
• means for pumping the atoms with modulated circularly-polarized optical pumping light simultaneously modulated at the frequency of the microwave end resonance and at the frequency of the Zeeman end resonance to produce coherent population trapping resonances;
• and
• means for detecting that the microwave end resonance and Zeeman end resonance have been excited.