<p>Space-based global navigation and precision timing systems are critical for modern infrastructure. Atomic clock technology has increased the precision of these systems so that they are viable for military operations, navigation, telecommunications, and finance. Advances in optical atomic clocks, based on optical frequencies, provide an opportunity for even more precise timing. Therefore, developments in chip-scale optical atomic clock technologies could lead to increased and more wide-spread application of this precision timing. One component of the optical atomic clock is the optical frequency comb which serves as an interface between optical and microwave frequencies. This thesis will cover experiments related to these optical frequency combs. A 2$\mu$m fiber laser was developed in order to test second harmonic devices required to stabilize an optical frequency comb. The laser was then employed to measure the operating wavelengths and efficiencies of non-linear devices. In addition, an analysis of the radio frequency instruments used to evaluate microwave outputs was conducted to determine whether a digital signal analyzer (oscilloscope) or an analog electronic spectrum analyzer provides more accurate results for optical frequency comb based experiments.</p>

Ce travail de thèse, effectué dans le cadre du projet européen MClocks (http://www.inrim.it/mclocks), reporte le développement et la caractérisation métrologique d’une horloge atomique à cellule de césium de haute performance basée sur le phénomène de piégeage cohérent de population (CPT). Cette horloge exploite un schéma de pompage CPT optimisé nommé push-pull optical pumping (PPOP), permettant la détection de résonances CPT à fort contraste sur la transition d’horloge 0-0. Une caractérisation détaillée des différents éléments de l’horloge est reportée. L’horloge fut exploitée en mode continu (CW) et en mode impulsionnel de type Ramsey. Dans les deux modes de fonctionnement, l’horloge démontre une stabilité relative de fréquence de l’ordre de 2 10−13 τ−1/2 jusque 100 s d’intégration, principalement limitée par des effets de puissance laser. Cette horloge atomique, parmi les meilleures horloges à cellule développées à travers le monde, pourrait trouver des applications pour les systèmes de télécommunications, d’instrumentation, de défense ou navigation par satellite.Cette thèse reporte aussi une technique originale de stabilisation de fréquence laser par spectroscopie sub-Dopplerbi-fréquence en cellule. La plateforme constituée par l’horloge a été utilisée pour mener des tests de physique plus amont incluant la caractérisation par spectroscopie CPT d’une cellule de césium avec un revêtement anti-relaxant OTS (octadecyltrichlorosilane) ou la caractérisation de microcellules à vapeur de césium avec gaz tampon développées à FEMTO-ST pour des horloges atomiques miniatures. / This thesis work, performed in the frame of the MClocks European project (http://www.inrim.it/mclocks), reports the development and metrological characterization of a high-performance Cs vapor cell atomic clock based on coherent population trapping (CPT). The clock uses an optimized CPT pumping scheme, named push-pull optical pumping (PPOP), allowing the detection of high-contrast CPT resonances on the 0-0 magnetic-field insensitive clock transition. A detailed characterization of key components of the clock is reported. The clock was operated in the continuous-wave (CW) regime and in a Ramsey-like pulsed regime. In both regimes, the clock demonstrates a short-term fractional frequency stability at the level of 2 10−13 τ−1/2 up to 100 s averaging time, mainly limited by laser power effects. This CPT clock, ranking among the best microwave vapor cell atomic frequency standards, could find applications in telecommunication, instrumentation, defense or satellite-based navigation systems.This thesis reports also a novel laser frequency stabilization technique using dual-frequency sub-Doppler spectroscopy in a vapor cell. The clock ”platform” has also been used to perform using CPT spectroscopy the characterization of a Cs vapor cell coated with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) or original buffer-gas filled Cs vapor micro-fabricated cells developed in FEMTO-ST for CPT-based miniature atomic clocks.

<p dir="ltr">Optical frequency combs have revolutionized metrology and advanced other fields such as RF photonics and astronomy. While powerful, they can be bulky, expensive, and difficult to manufacture. This tends to limit uses in real-world scenarios. Within the last decade or so, coherent frequency combs have begun to be generated in millimeter-scale, CMOS fabrication-compatible nonlinear crystals. These so-called “microcombs” have led to hopes of overcoming deployability constraints of more traditional bulk combs.</p><p dir="ltr">One of the first applications for \textit{bulk} frequency combs after their explosion in 2000 was the optical atomic clock. It promised extreme long-term time stability better than that of the Cesium clock that currently defines the SI second. More recently, interest in a fully portable optical atomic clock has grown. Such a device could reliably keep time even without the aid of GPS references, and potentially with greater accuracy than current GPS synchronization can provide.</p><p dir="ltr">Frequency combs have also been used to sample electrical signals more rapidly than traditional electronics can accomplish. This has been used to achieve dramatically increased effective frequency bandwidths for signal detection architectures. One can imagine how this capability would be beneficial in a portable (microcomb-driven) form: a lightweight, comb-enhanced receiver able to capture a broadband snapshot of its surrounding electromagnetic environment could be a powerful tool.</p><p dir="ltr">Timekeeping and RF photonics are the primary applications of microcombs focused upon here. I will attempt to roughly summarize important concepts and highlight relevant work in both subjects in the Introduction. Then I will move a step closer to the hands-on lab work that has largely kept me preoccupied over the last several years and describe important or commonly-employed Methods for experiments. A collection of three journal manuscripts (two published, and the third recently submitted) will follow in the Publications chapter, highlighting some experimental results. Finally, I will conclude with a brief Outlook.</p>