Raman-Ramsey interaction for coherent population trapping Cs clock

A gas cell atomic frequency standard based on coherent population trapping (CPT) with Ramsey interrogation pulses is developed. The clock resonance is detected in a Cs cell with buffer gas using two phase-locked diode lasers tuned to the D1 line. A preliminary short-term stability of 3.5 x 10(-12) t(-1/2) is reported. The CPT specificity allows a new interrogation-detection sequence, i.e., the continuous pulse train, which, with phase modulation, could lead to better short-term stability compared to usual continuous CPT clocks. The parameters optimizing the stability include a high Rabi frequency, a very short measurement time, and an interrogation time equal to the lifetime of the hyperfine coherence.