A historical review of atomic frequency standards

1 June 1967

journal article
review article
Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in Proceedings of the IEEE

Vol. 55 (6) , 792-805
https://doi.org/10.1109/proc.1967.5692

Abstract

An attempt is made to trace the historical development of the leading contenders in the atomic frequency standards field--cesium and thallium atomic beam devices, rubidium gas cell standard, and the hydrogen maser. Many of the important experiments leading to the development of techniques basic to the various types of standards, such as the magnetic resonance method, optical pumping, buffer gases and wall coatings, and maser techniques are briefly described. Finally, the application of these basic techniques to the development of the specific types of atomic standards is discussed.

Keywords

This publication has 51 references indexed in Scilit:

An Intercomparison of Hydrogen and Cesium Frequency Standards
IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 1966
Servo-Controlled Hydrogen Maser cavity Tuning
Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ,1966
Pressure, Light, and Temperature Shifts in Optical Detection of 0-0 Hyperfine Resonance of Alkali Metals
Physical Review B, 1961
A Prototype Rubidium Vapor Frequency Standard
IRE Transactions on Instrumentation, 1960
Optical Detection of Narrow ${Rb}^{87}$ Hyperfine Absorption Lines
Physical Review Letters, 1958
CESIUM BEAM STANDARD OF FREQUENCY
Canadian Journal of Physics, 1958
Frequency of Cesium in Terms of Ephemeris Time
Physical Review Letters, 1958
An Atomic Standard of Frequency and Time Interval: A Cæsium Resonator
Nature, 1955
SPECTRAL LINES AS FREQUENCY STANDARDS
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1952
Electronic Frequency Stabilization of Microwave Oscillators
Review of Scientific Instruments, 1946