Enhancing divalent optical atomic clocks with the 1 S0 ⇆ 3P2 transition

Divalent atoms and ions with a singlet S ground state and triplet P excited state form the basis of many high-precision optical atomic clocks. Along with the metastable 3P0 clock state, these atomic systems also have a nearby metastable 3P2 state. We investigate the properties of the electric quadrupole 1 S0 -* 3P2 transition with a focus on enhancing already existing optical atomic clocks. In particular we investigate the 1S0 -* 3P2 transition in 27Al+ and calculate the differential polarizability, hyperfine effects, and other relevant atomic properties. We also discuss potential applications of this transition, notably that it provides two transitions with different sensitivities to systematic effects in the same species. In addition, we describe how the 1S0 -* 3P2 transition can be used to search for physics beyond the Standard Model and motivate investigation of this transition in other existing optical atomic clocks.