Direct Excitation of the Forbidden Clock Transition in NeutralYb174Atoms Confined to an Optical Lattice

Abstract
We report direct single-laser excitation of the strictly forbidden clock transition in atoms confined to a 1D optical lattice. A small () static magnetic field was used to induce a nonzero electric dipole transition probability between the clock states at 578.42 nm. Narrow resonance linewidths of 20 Hz (FWHM) with high contrast were observed, demonstrating a resonance quality factor of . The previously unknown ac Stark shift-canceling (magic) wavelength was determined to be . This method for using the metrologically superior even isotope can be easily implemented in current Yb and Sr lattice clocks and can create new clock possibilities in other alkaline-earth-like atoms such as Mg and Ca.