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Master´s Thesis worker, single-ion optical atomic clock

Published date more than one year ago
Posted: more than one year ago
Company VTT
Company: VTT
End date March 31, 2020
Due date: March 31, 2020
Location Espoo
Location: Espoo

About us

VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner. We drive sustainable growth and tackle the biggest global challenges of our time and turn them into growth opportunities. We go beyond the obvious to help the society and companies to grow through technological innovations. We have over 75 years of experience of top-level research and science-based results. VTT´s turnover and other operating income is 258 M€. VTT is at the sweet spot where innovation and business come together. www.vttresearch.com

VTT MIKES is the National Metrology Institute of Finland and one of the leading laboratories for metrology and high-accuracy measurements in Europe.

VTT – beyond the obvious.

With us you will be responsible for

The topic of the MSc thesis is the VTT MIKES single-ion optical atomic clock. Here, a single strontium ion is trapped in a radiofrequency trap and laser cooled to a temperature around 1 millikelvin. An ultra-narrow (0.4 Hz) electronic transition in the ion acts as the frequency reference of the clock and its frequency is measured using an ultra-stable “clock laser” with a linewidth below 1 Hz. A femtosecond frequency comb is used to link the optical frequency to conventional microwave clock frequencies. Optical clocks can reach 1E-18 relative frequency uncertainties. On the surface of the Earth this is equivalent to a relativistic redshift caused by moving the clock 1 cm in height!
The thesis work will be mainly experimental. The topic can be tailored based on the student’s background, but examples include:
• Setting up state preparation of the ion.
• Work on the clock-laser – frequency comb chain for absolute frequency measurements.
Time and frequency activities of VTT MIKES also include realization of the official Finnish time scale and research on long-distance time and frequency dissemination.

We expect you to have

We expect that you are a MSc student with a strong education and know-how in physics and/or electrical engineering and that your studies are at the MSc thesis stage. You can be a skilled person interested especially in experimental research or a more theoretically oriented person for whom the MSc work would be an introduction to experimental work before the PhD studies. Some prior knowledge of lasers, optics, electronics, or programming is essential.

As a person you are

You are a good team worker, ready to take responsibility and can also work independently.

We offer

We offer you an interesting project to work on, a high-level and friendly team of colleagues to work with and possibility to develop your skills towards your own research career. You could start as soon as possible. The position will be filled as soon as suitable candidate has been found. The chosen MSc thesis student will be paid a thesis fee instead of an employment contract.

For further information

If you find these topics interesting, please contact:
Thomas Lindvall, Senior Scientist, E-mail thomas.lindvall@vtt.fi, Tel. 050 443 4108 or
Antti Manninen, Research Team Leader, Electrical metrology, E-mail antti.manninen@vtt.fi, Tel. 040 514 8658