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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Doppler-shift mitigation in a chip-scale atomic beam clock

Alexander Staron1,2,*, Gabriela Martinez1,2,†, Nicholas Nardelli1,2, Travis Autry1, John Kitching1, and William McGehee1

  • *Contact author: alexander.staron@colorado.edu
  • †Present Address: Mesa Quantum, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
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Phys. Rev. Applied 25, L051001 – Published 5 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3zg6-v39w

Abstract

Chip-scale microwave atomic systems based on thermal atomic beams offer a promising approach to realize low-power and low-drift clocks for timing holdover applications. Miniature beam clocks are expected to suppress many of the shifts that commonly limit existing chip-scale atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping, including collisional shifts and some light shifts. However, the beam geometry can amplify some challenges such as Doppler shifts, which generate a strong sensitivity to laser frequency variation. Using a centimeter-scale 87Rb atom beam clock, we identify a surprisingly strong competition between Doppler shifts and resonant light shifts arising from asymmetric decay in the clock spectroscopy Λ-system. Leveraging this competition between Doppler and resonant light shifts, we demonstrate clock operation at specific, convenient experimental parameters consistent with zero sensitivity to laser frequency variation and white-noise-limited clock frequency averaging for 1000 s of integration.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 25, L051001– Published 5 May, 2026
  • Received 4 December 2025
  • Accepted 16 March 2026
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