Atomic oscillator

Abstract

To solve the problem that an oscillatory frequency does not become stable when the state of irradiation light fluctuates.SOLUTION: An atomic oscillator 100 of the present disclosure, comprises: a gas cell 101 filled with an alkali metal atom; a light generation portion 102 which irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light; a light detection portion 103 which detects a transmitted light which has transmitted the gas cell; and a control device 104 which determines a resonance frequency of the irradiation light on the basis of a detected light quantity of the transmitted light. The control device 104 stores correspondence information in which a feature quantity of a transmitted light spectrum and the state of the irradiation light are corresponded, the control device 104 extracts the feature quantity of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, performs an estimation processing which estimates the state of the irradiation light corresponding to the feature quantity of the extracted transmitted light spectrum on the basis of the correspondence information, and controls an irradiation state of the irradiation light on the basis of the estimated state of the irradiation light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to atomic oscillators. [Background technology]

[0002] Atomic oscillators that oscillate based on the energy transition of alkali metal atoms are known as oscillators with long-term, highly accurate oscillation characteristics. In atomic oscillators, the resonance frequency is determined by detecting the amount of light transmitted through the atoms after irradiating them, and the oscillation frequency is controlled based on this.

[0003] In the above-mentioned atomic oscillator, if there is a change in the temperature inside the oscillator, a change in the magnetic field, or a change in the characteristics of the light irradiated to the atoms, the optical transition characteristics of the atoms will fluctuate, and the stability of the oscillation frequency will decrease. To address this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a frequency correction technique for reducing the fluctuation in the oscillation frequency that accompanies the fluctuation in the amount of light irradiated to the atoms. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2013-123091 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the frequency correction method described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the oscillation frequency is not stable. The reason for this is as follows.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for correcting the frequency shift caused by the variation of the line width based on the intensity of the detection signal when there is a correlation between the intensity and the line width of a detection signal having an upward convex shape. The technique of Patent Document 1 can correct the frequency shift caused by the change in the intensity of the detection signal even when the detection signal is asymmetric. However, the technique of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the case where the asymmetry of the detection signal changes over time. For example, when the asymmetry of the detection signal changes due to the variation in the wavelength of the light irradiated to the atom, it is difficult to make an appropriate correction because the correlation between the intensity of the detection signal and the magnitude of the frequency shift is different compared to the case where the frequency shift occurs due to the variation in the line width. As a result, a problem occurs in that the oscillation frequency is not stable when the state of the light changes.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an atomic oscillator that can solve the above-mentioned problem that the oscillation frequency is not stable when the optical state fluctuates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The atomic oscillator according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are sealed; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; Equipped with The control device includes: Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. The structure is as follows.

[0009] In addition, a control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are sealed; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; A control method for an atomic oscillator using the control device, comprising: the control device stores correspondence information in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiation light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiation light is associated with each other; the control device extracts a feature of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, performs an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiation light corresponding to the extracted feature of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controls an irradiation state of the irradiation light based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. The structure is as follows.

[0010] Moreover, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are sealed; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; The control device in an atomic oscillator comprising: Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. The structure is as follows.

[0011] In addition, a program according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are sealed; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; The control device in the atomic oscillator includes: storing correspondence information in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. Execute the process, The structure is as follows. Effect of the Invention

[0012] By being configured as described above, the present disclosure can improve the stability of the oscillation frequency even when the state of the light irradiating the atoms changes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows CPT resonances appearing in the transmitted light spectrum. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an error signal of a transmitted light spectrum. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a transmitted light spectrum when the wavelength of the irradiated light is changed. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an error signal of the transmitted light spectrum when the wavelength of the irradiated light is changed. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram showing a transmitted light spectrum when the intensity of irradiated light varies for each frequency component. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram showing an error signal of a transmitted light spectrum when the intensity of irradiated light varies for each frequency component. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows the hyperfine structure of cesium atoms under a magnetic field. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating feature quantities extracted from a transmitted light spectrum when the wavelength of irradiated light is changed. [Figure 9] 11 is a diagram showing feature amounts extracted from a transmitted light spectrum when the intensity of irradiated light varies for each frequency component. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an atomic oscillator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing a control method executed by the atomic oscillator in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an atomic oscillator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a control method executed by the atomic oscillator in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an atomic oscillator according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] <Embodiment 1> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 11. First, an overview of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 9.

[0015] (Overview of the first embodiment) An atomic oscillator is a device that realizes stable frequency oscillation using atomic gas such as alkali metal atoms. The atomic oscillator has a gas cell in which the atomic gas is sealed. The atomic oscillator irradiates the gas cell with light containing at least two different frequencies and measures the transmitted light, and can detect the quantum interference effect (called CPT (Coherent Population Trapping) resonance) that occurs when the transition frequency between specific quantum states of the atomic gas matches the difference frequency of the irradiated light as a fluctuation in the amount of transmitted light. Figure 1 is a diagram of CPT resonance that appears in the transmitted light spectrum. For example, if the transmitted light spectrum is measured when the transmitted light of cesium atoms is detected while sweeping the difference frequency of the irradiated light, the amount of transmitted light reaches a peak value as shown in Figure 1 when the difference frequency matches the transition frequency between specific quantum states, and CPT resonance is detected. The difference frequency of the irradiated light at this time is called the resonance frequency. By detecting the resonance frequency of the CPT resonance and controlling the difference frequency of the irradiated light to match the transition frequency between specific quantum states, a high-precision atomic oscillator utilizing the quantum interference effect is realized. In the atomic oscillator using the above-mentioned CPT method, the resonant frequency of the CPT resonance is used as the reference for the oscillation frequency.

[0016] The transmitted light spectrum is expressed as a Lorentzian function centered on the transition frequency between quantum states, and the point at which the amount of transmitted light is maximized is generally taken as the resonant frequency of the CPT resonance and used as the reference for the oscillation frequency. As an example, by sweeping the difference frequency of the light irradiated when the atomic oscillator is started, an error signal of the transmitted light spectrum as shown in the schematic diagram in Figure 2 can be obtained, and the zero-crossing point of the error signal can be taken as the resonant frequency and used as the reference for the oscillation frequency. The error signal of the transmitted light spectrum can be obtained, for example, by modulating the difference frequency with a reference frequency with a shorter period than the sweep period of the difference frequency when sweeping the difference frequency of the irradiated light, and locking in detection of the detected amount of transmitted light with the reference frequency.

[0017] However, depending on the state of the irradiated light, the shape of the transmitted light spectrum may not be a Lorentzian function centered on the transition frequency between quantum states. That is, if there is an unintended change in the state of the irradiated light, the oscillation frequency may change as shown below. For example, if the wavelength of the irradiated light is different from the transition wavelength determined by the energy difference between the quantum states of the atomic gas, the shape of the transmitted light spectrum may become asymmetric. In this case, the change in the wavelength of the irradiated light may be caused, for example, by a temperature change of the light source. Figures 3 and 4 show schematic diagrams of the transmitted light spectrum and the change in the error signal of the transmitted light spectrum when the wavelength of the irradiated light changes. When the resonant frequency is determined based on the zero cross point of the error signal shown in Figure 4, if the wavelength of the irradiated light is significantly detuned from the excited state, the resonant frequency will deviate from the transition frequency between specific quantum states of the alkali metal atom, and the oscillation frequency cannot be accurately controlled. In addition, for example, if the intensity of the irradiated light differs for each frequency component, the shape of the transmitted light spectrum may become asymmetric. Figures 5 and 6 show schematic diagrams of the change in the transmitted light spectrum and the error signal of the transmitted light spectrum when the intensity of the irradiated light fluctuates for each frequency component. When the resonance frequency is determined based on the zero crossing point of the error signal shown in Figure 6, if the intensity of the irradiated light fluctuates for each frequency component, the resonance frequency deviates from the transition frequency between specific quantum states of the alkali metal atom, and the oscillation frequency cannot be accurately controlled. For this reason, in order to ensure the stability of the oscillation frequency of the atomic oscillator, it is desirable to have a mechanism for correcting the frequency shift caused by the fluctuation of the state of the light irradiated to the atomic gas. The above-mentioned fluctuation of the state of the light irradiated to the atomic gas may occur due to a sudden change in the environment, such as the temperature or magnetic field, around the atomic oscillator.

[0018] The technology according to the present embodiment has been made in consideration of the problem of the decrease in frequency stability of the atomic oscillator due to unintended fluctuations in the state of the light irradiated to the atomic gas as described above. That is, the technology according to the present embodiment can provide an atomic oscillator equipped with a stabilization mechanism that increases frequency stability against fluctuations in the state of the light irradiated to the atomic gas.

[0019] Here, the spectrum of transmitted light due to CPT resonance can be calculated numerically by giving the state of the irradiated light and the transition process of the quantum state of the atomic gas. The transition process of the quantum state can be described by the transition probability between two states and the relaxation probability of each state. For example, if we consider a cesium atom as an alkali metal atom, it has a quantum state as shown in Figure 7 in its hyperfine structure under a magnetic field. Figure 7 shows arrows corresponding to typical wavelengths of irradiated light with two different frequencies. In the case of a cesium atom, there are 32 quantum states that can be involved in the state transition due to the irradiated light. By giving all of these transition processes, the spectrum of transmitted light due to CPT resonance can be calculated numerically with high accuracy. The shape of the spectrum of transmitted light changes depending on the state of the irradiated light, but by giving the transition processes of all quantum states that can be involved in the state transition among the quantum states of the atomic gas, the shape of the spectrum of transmitted light can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0020] Therefore, if a transmitted light spectrum is obtained by numerical calculation for a possible state of the irradiated light, the state of the irradiated light can be estimated from the transmitted light spectrum obtained by measurement. Specifically, the feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum required for estimating the state of the irradiated light is extracted from the measured value of the transmitted light spectrum, and the feature amount extracted from the measured value is compared with the feature amount extracted from the numerical solution of the transmitted light spectrum, so that the state of the irradiated light can be estimated. For example, when an alkali metal atom having a large number of quantum states involved in optical transition, such as a cesium atom, is used, the numerical calculation takes a long time. For this reason, the atomic oscillator according to this embodiment is equipped with a storage device, and stores a table (correspondence information) in which the state of the irradiated light and the feature amount extracted from the numerical solution of the transmitted light spectrum are associated with each other. The feature quantities required for estimating the state of the irradiated light may be extracted, for example, by approximating the transmitted light spectrum T(f), which expresses the amount of transmitted light T minus an appropriate offset as a function of the difference frequency f of the irradiated light, with the function shown in the following formula 1 to obtain each parameter (symmetric component amplitude S, antisymmetric component amplitude A, line width W, and resonance center X), and using these sets as feature quantities.

number

[0021] The absolute values ​​of the above-mentioned parameters or the ratios between the parameters are used as feature quantities, and the feature quantities obtained from the measured values ​​are compared with the feature quantities in the table stored in the storage device, thereby making it possible to estimate the state of the irradiated light at the time of measurement in a short time. Furthermore, the feature quantities required for estimating the state of the irradiated light may be extracted, for example, from the error function of the transmitted light spectrum.

[0022] As an example, Fig. 8 shows the feature values ​​extracted from the transmitted light spectrum when the wavelength of the irradiated light varies under the condition that the intensity of the irradiated light is equal for each frequency component. Fig. 9 shows the feature values ​​extracted from the transmitted light spectrum when the intensity of the irradiated light varies for each frequency component under the condition that the wavelength of the irradiated light is detuned by 0.2 GHz from the excited state. Since the feature values ​​vary depending on the state of the irradiated light, the state of the irradiated light can be estimated based on the feature values. If the state of the irradiated light is estimated, the amount of frequency shift can be estimated from the state of the light, and the amount of frequency shift can be corrected to stabilize the oscillation frequency. Alternatively, the oscillation frequency can be stabilized by adjusting the control signal of the light source so that the state of the irradiated light has a predetermined frequency shift.

[0023] (Details of the first embodiment) Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0024] [composition] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the atomic oscillator according to the first embodiment. The atomic oscillator according to this embodiment is composed of a light generating unit 1, a magnetic field applying device 2, a gas cell 3 in which alkali metal atoms or the like are sealed in a gaseous state, a light detecting unit 4, an environment sensor 5, and a control device 6. Here, the control device 6 is composed of an information processing device equipped with a calculation device and a storage device. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 6 includes a transmitted light processing unit 61, a frequency determining unit 62, a fluctuation detecting unit 63, a frequency control unit 64, and a light control unit 65, which are constructed by the calculation device executing a program. In addition, the control device 6 includes a storage unit 66 in which corresponding information described later is stored in the storage device. Each configuration will be described in detail below.

[0025] The light generating unit 1 generates light having at least two different frequencies. The irradiated light generated by the light generating unit 1 is irradiated onto the gas cell 3, and the transmitted light transmitted through the gas cell 3 reaches the light detecting unit 4 where it is detected, converted into an electric signal or the like, and sent to the control device 6. The light generating unit 1 is configured to control the wavelength of the generated light, the light intensity for each frequency component, and the difference frequency based on a control signal from the control device 6, as described below.

[0026] The irradiated light, which is the light generated from the light generating unit 1, has at least two different frequency components. The light emitted from the light generating unit 1 may have three or more different frequency components, but the difference frequency between two of these frequency components is approximately equal to the transition frequency between specific quantum states that form the CPT resonance of the alkali metal atom. For example, the light generated from the light generating unit 1 is realized by modulating the single-wavelength light oscillated from a semiconductor laser or the like with a frequency approximately equal to the same or half the transition frequency of the alkali metal atom to generate a sideband. At this time, the control of the difference frequency is realized by a mechanism that controls the modulation frequency. Alternatively, the light generated from the light generating unit 1 can also be realized by multiplexing two single-wavelength lights oscillated from two semiconductor lasers or the like having a mechanism that controls the difference frequency.

[0027] The magnetic field application device 2 generates a magnetic field M in a direction parallel or anti-parallel to the irradiated light at a predetermined position inside the gas cell 3. The magnetic field application device 2 is, for example, a coil arranged to cover the gas cell 3, and by adjusting the direction and magnitude of a current applied to the coil, control of the direction and strength of the static magnetic field applied to the predetermined position inside the gas cell 3 is realized.

[0028] The gas cell 3 is filled with alkali metal atoms. The alkali metal atoms filled in the gas cell 3 may be, for example, cesium atoms, rubidium atoms, sodium atoms, or potassium atoms. The material constituting the container of the gas cell 3 is preferably a transparent material such as glass having a high transmittance of the irradiated light generated from the light generating unit 1. In addition to the alkali metal atoms, the gas cell 3 may be filled with a buffer gas that does not contribute to the absorption of the irradiated light in order to reduce the effect of the collision between the container wall and the gaseous alkali metal atoms. In addition, the gas cell 3 may include a temperature control device that does not block the optical path of the irradiated light in order to control the saturated vapor pressure of the gaseous alkali metal atoms. For example, the temperature control device is composed of a resistance heater.

[0029] The light detection unit 4 has a device for detecting transmitted light, which is light that has passed through the gas cell 3. The light detection unit 4 is realized, for example, by using a photodiode, but can also be realized by a photodetector that is a light detection means. Information on the light detected by the light detection unit 4 is converted into an electric signal or the like and input to the control device 6.

[0030] The environmental sensor 5 measures a physical quantity that becomes environmental information at a predetermined position. The physical quantity that becomes environmental information is, for example, temperature or a magnetic field. The measurement position of the environmental sensor 5 is desirably a position where a change in the environmental information in the light generating unit 1 can be detected. As an example, the measurement position of the environmental sensor 5 is a position close to a semiconductor laser or the like that constitutes the light generating unit 1. The measurement value of the environmental information obtained by the environmental sensor 5 is input to the control device 6.

[0031] Next, the transmitted light processing unit 61, the frequency determination unit 62, the fluctuation detection unit 63, the frequency control unit 64, the light control unit 65, and the storage unit 66 provided in the control device 6 will be described.

[0032] The transmitted light processing unit 61 processes the amount of transmitted light detected by the light detection unit 4 .

[0033] The frequency determination unit 62 determines the difference frequency of the light generated by the light generation unit 1 based on the amount of transmitted light input from the light detection unit 4. Specifically, when the difference frequency of the light generated by the light generation unit 1 is swept, the frequency determination unit 62 acquires the transmitted light spectrum based on the amount of transmitted light input from the light detection unit 4, determines the resonance frequency, and further extracts a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum necessary for estimating the state of the light generated by the light generation unit 1. In other words, the frequency determination unit 62 extracts a feature amount representing a preset feature of the transmitted light spectrum from the transmitted light spectrum in which the difference frequency of the irradiated light and the amount of transmitted light correspond to each other.

[0034] The fluctuation detection unit 63 monitors fluctuations in the environmental information input from the environmental sensor 5. When the fluctuation in the environmental information within a predetermined time period reaches or exceeds a preset threshold value, the fluctuation detection unit 63 determines that a fluctuation in the environment has occurred, activates a preset determination, and starts a state estimation process of the irradiated light by the light control unit 65, which will be described later. In addition, for example, in order to prevent a change over time in the state of the irradiated light, the fluctuation detection unit 63 activates the above-mentioned determination and starts a state estimation process by the light control unit 65 even when a state in which no environmental fluctuation is detected continues for a predetermined time period.

[0035] The frequency control unit 64 generates a control signal for controlling the difference frequency of the light generated by the light generating unit 1 based on the output of the frequency determining unit 62. In particular, the frequency control unit 64 controls the modulation frequency input to the light generating unit 1 based on the resonance frequency determined by the frequency determining unit 62. For example, when the light generating unit 1 is made of a semiconductor laser, the frequency control unit 64 controls the modulation frequency of the drive current of the semiconductor laser.

[0036] The storage unit 66 stores a table (correspondence information) showing the correspondence between the state of the excitation light and the feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum. The feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum is obtained by previously performing a numerical calculation of the transmitted light spectrum based on information on the alkali metal atoms and the buffer gas sealed in the gas cell 3.

[0037] The light control unit 65 performs a state estimation process to estimate the state of the irradiated light by using the feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum extracted by the frequency determination unit 62. Specifically, the light control unit 65 compares the feature amount in the table stored in the storage unit 66 with the feature amount extracted by the frequency determination unit 62, and estimates the state of the irradiated light associated with the matching feature amount in the table as the state of the irradiated light, which is the light generated by the light generation unit 1. Note that the light control unit 65 also performs the state estimation process of the irradiated light when the determination by the fluctuation detection unit 63 becomes valid as described above.

[0038] Then, the light control unit 65 controls the irradiation state of the irradiation light based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. For example, when the estimated state of the irradiation light is the wavelength and intensity of the irradiation light, the light control unit 65 generates a control signal for controlling to correct the set values ​​of the wavelength and intensity of the irradiation light generated by the light generating unit 1. At this time, the light control unit 65 judges whether the estimated state of the irradiation light is within the allowable range, and when the state of the irradiation light is not within the allowable range, corrects the set values ​​of the wavelength and intensity of the irradiation light so that the state of the irradiation light is within the allowable range. As an example, when the allowable range is a range in which a transmitted light spectrum with a high Q value and suppressed asymmetric components is realized, the set values ​​of the wavelength and intensity of the irradiation light are corrected so that a transmitted light spectrum with a high Q value and a symmetrical Q value of the irradiation light is realized. As a result, the irradiation state of the irradiation light is controlled to correct the amount of shift in the resonance frequency caused by the fluctuation of the state of the irradiation light.

[0039] The control device 6 has a basic function of controlling the oscillation frequency performed by a general atomic oscillator. For example, a general atomic oscillator is equipped with a VCXO (Voltage Controlled Crystal Oscillator) that oscillates at about 10 MHz as a configuration equivalent to the above-mentioned frequency control unit 64, and the "oscillation frequency" that is the output of the atomic oscillator to the outside is generated from the oscillation signal of this VCXO. At this time, the difference frequency of the irradiated light is generated by converting the oscillation signal of the VCXO into a signal of several GHz by a frequency conversion circuit. Then, when starting up the atomic oscillator, the control device 6 sweeps the conversion coefficient of the frequency conversion circuit to sweep the difference frequency and determines the resonance frequency fr from the transmitted light spectrum. Once the resonance frequency fr is determined, the conversion coefficient of the frequency conversion circuit is fixed to fr / [10 MHz], and the control voltage of the VCXO is adjusted so that the error signal of the locked-in detected transmitted light spectrum is at a predetermined signal level. At this time, the oscillation signal of the VCXO is stabilized at 10 MHz unless fr changes.

[0040] [Operation] Fig. 11 is a flowchart of the atomic oscillator according to the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 11 shows a control method executed by the atomic oscillator according to the first embodiment. The operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 11.

[0041] First, the light control unit 65 sets and controls the wavelength and intensity of the light generated by the light generating unit 1 to stabilize them (step S1). The set values ​​of the wavelength and intensity of the light may be, for example, the wavelength and intensity at which the transmitted light spectrum due to CPT resonance is expected to have a high Q value and a symmetric shape.

[0042] Next, the difference frequency of the light generated by the light generating unit 1 is swept within a predetermined range set by the frequency control unit 64, and the frequency determining unit 62 acquires the transmitted light spectrum in the transmitted light processing unit 10 (step S2). The frequency sweep range is set to be sufficiently wide relative to the line width of the transmitted light spectrum expected from the wavelength and intensity of the irradiated light.

[0043] Next, the frequency determination unit 62 extracts features required for estimating the state of light from the acquired transmitted light spectrum (step S3). Then, the light control unit 65 estimates the state of the irradiated light by referring to the table stored in the storage unit 66 (step S4). As the state of the irradiated light, for example, the intensity of the total irradiated light, the polarization state of the irradiated light, the wavelength of the irradiated light before frequency modulation, the intensity of the irradiated light for each frequency component, etc. can be estimated. For example, as the polarization state of the irradiated light, a state such as linear polarization, circular polarization, or intermediate elliptically polarized light can be estimated from the transmitted light spectrum.

[0044] Next, the light control unit 65 judges whether the estimated state of the irradiated light is within an allowable range (step S5). The allowable range is, for example, a range in which a transmitted light spectrum with a high Q value and suppressed asymmetric components is realized. If the state of the irradiated light is not within the allowable range (No in step S5), the output of the light control unit 65 is adjusted to correct the set values ​​of the wavelength and intensity of the irradiated light so that a transmitted light spectrum with a high Q value and a symmetrical Q value is realized as the state of the irradiated light (step S6), and the process proceeds to step S1.

[0045] If the state of the irradiated light is within the allowable range (Yes in step S5), the fluctuation detection unit 63 judges whether or not an environmental fluctuation has been detected (step S7). If an environmental fluctuation has been detected (Yes in step S7), the state of the irradiated light may have fluctuated significantly, so the process proceeds to step S2 to calibrate the state of the light. That is, if an environmental fluctuation has been detected, a feature amount is extracted from the transmitted light spectrum detected as described above, the state of the irradiated light is estimated, and the state of the irradiated light is controlled as necessary (steps S2 to S6). If an environmental fluctuation has not been detected (No in step S7), oscillation frequency control based on the amount of transmitted light is started (step S8). Then, the above is continued until the frequency oscillation is terminated, but if an environmental fluctuation is detected during the control of the oscillation frequency (No in step S9, Yes in step S7), the process proceeds to step S2.

[0046] As described above, according to the atomic oscillator of the first embodiment, by estimating and adjusting the state of light irradiated to the atomic gas using the above-mentioned method, it is possible to realize an atomic oscillator that suppresses deterioration in frequency stability caused by fluctuations in the state of light irradiated to the atomic gas due to environmental fluctuations.

[0047] Second embodiment Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0048] [composition] 12 is a block diagram of an atomic oscillator according to the second embodiment. The atomic oscillator according to the present embodiment is composed of a common light source 21, a light generating unit 1, a correction light generating unit 11, a magnetic field applying device 2, a gas cell 3 in which alkali metal atoms or the like are sealed in a gaseous state, a light detecting unit 4, a correction light detecting unit 14, a control device 6, and a correction control device 7.

[0049] Here, the control device 6 and the correction control device 7 are each configured as an information processing device having a calculation device and a storage device. The control device 6 includes a transmitted light processing unit 61, a frequency determination unit 62, and a frequency control unit 64, which are constructed by the calculation device executing a program, as shown in FIG. 12. The correction control device 7 includes a transmitted light processing unit 71 for correction, a sweep frequency control unit 72, and a light source control unit 73, which are constructed by the calculation device executing a program, as shown in FIG. 12. The correction control device 7 includes a storage unit 66 that stores the above-mentioned correspondence information in the storage device. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0050] The common light source 21 is, for example, a semiconductor laser or the like, and generates single-wavelength light. For example, the common light source 21 can set the wavelength and intensity of the generated light by adjusting the drive current or the like. The generated light is split via a beam splitter or the like, and input to the light generating unit 1 and the correction light generating unit 11.

[0051] The light generating unit 1 (first light generating unit) and the correction light generating unit 11 (second light generating unit) are composed of, for example, an acousto-optical element, and frequency-modulate the light generated from the common light source 21 to generate light having at least two different frequency components. In particular, the correction light generating unit 11 can sweep the modulation frequency during frequency modulation based on the input of a sweep frequency control unit 72. In the light generating unit 1 and the correction light generating unit 11, the modulation intensity and modulation frequency during frequency modulation can be adjusted by the frequency control unit 64 and the sweep frequency control unit 72, respectively, to control the intensity of each frequency component of the generated light.

[0052] The gas cell 3 is filled with alkali metal atoms. In addition to the alkali metal atoms, the gas cell 3 may be filled with a buffer gas that does not contribute to the absorption of the irradiated light in order to reduce the effect of collision between the container wall surface and the gaseous alkali metal atoms. The gas cell 3 is installed on the optical path of the light generated from the light generating unit 1 and the light generated from the correction light generating unit 11. That is, the light generated from the light generating unit 1 (first irradiation light) and the light generated from the correction light generating unit 11 (second irradiation light) are irradiated to a predetermined position inside the gas cell 3. The gas cell 3 may be a single gas cell, or may be composed of two gas cells filled with the same gas at the same pressure and to which the same magnetic field is applied by a magnetic field application device, and each gas cell may be installed on the optical path of the two irradiation lights.

[0053] The light detection unit 4 has a device for detecting transmitted light (first transmitted light), which is light generated from the light generation unit 1 and transmitted through the gas cell 3. The correction light detection unit 14 has a device for detecting transmitted light for correction (second transmitted light), which is light generated from the correction light generation unit 11 and transmitted through the gas cell 3. The light detection unit 4 and the correction light detection unit 14 are realized by using, for example, a photodiode. Information on the transmitted light detected by the light detection unit 4 is converted into an electrical signal or the like and input to the control unit 6. Information on the transmitted light detected by the correction light detection unit 14 is converted into an electrical signal or the like and input to the correction control unit 7.

[0054] As described above, the control device 6 includes a transmitted light processing unit 61 that processes the amount of transmitted light acquired by the light detection unit 4, a frequency determination unit 62, and a frequency control unit 64. As described above, the correction control device 7 includes a correction transmitted light processing unit 71 that processes the amount of transmitted light for correction acquired by the correction light detection unit 14 to acquire a correction transmitted light spectrum, a memory unit 66 that stores a table (correspondence information) showing the correspondence between the state of the irradiated light and the feature amount extracted from the transmitted light spectrum, a sweep frequency control unit 72, and a light source control unit 73.

[0055] The transmitted light processing unit 61 processes the amount of transmitted light acquired by the light detection unit 4, and the frequency determination unit 62 determines the resonance frequency. The frequency control unit 64 controls the modulation frequency to be input to the light generation unit 1 based on the resonance frequency determined by the frequency determination unit 62. The frequency control unit 64 also controls the frequency modulation intensity based on an input from the sweep frequency control unit 72.

[0056] The correction transmitted light processing unit 71 processes the amount of transmitted light acquired by the correction light detection unit 14 together with the modulation frequency swept by the correction light generation unit 11 to acquire a correction transmitted light spectrum (second transmitted light spectrum). The correction transmitted light processing unit 71 also extracts feature amounts required for estimating the state of the irradiated light from the correction transmitted light spectrum.

[0057] The sweep frequency control section 72 controls the modulation frequency swept by the correction light generating section 11 and the frequency modulation intensity.

[0058] The light source control unit 73 performs a state estimation process to estimate the state of the light irradiated to the gas cell 3 by comparing the feature amount in the table stored in the storage unit 66 with the feature amount extracted by the correction transmitted light processing unit 71. Then, when the result of the state estimation process indicates that it is necessary to readjust the intensity of each frequency component of the irradiated light, the light source control unit 73 readjusts the frequency modulation intensity. The light source control unit 73 adjusts the driving current of the semiconductor laser and the like to control the wavelength and intensity of the light generated by the common light source 21. Also, when the result of the state estimation process indicates that it is necessary to readjust the wavelength and intensity of the irradiated light, the light source control unit 73 readjusts the output of the light source control unit 73.

[0059] [Operation] Fig. 13 is a flowchart of the atomic oscillator according to the second embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 13 shows a control method executed by the atomic oscillator according to the second embodiment. The operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 13.

[0060] First, the irradiation light is initially set (step S11). At this time, the wavelength and intensity of the light generated by the common light source 21 are set as the output of the light source control unit 73, and light is generated. Also, the frequency modulation intensity of the light generating unit 1 and the correction light generating unit 11 is set as the output of the frequency control unit 64 and the sweep frequency control unit 72. Note that, by applying frequency modulation to light of a single frequency, light having a plurality of frequency components is generated, and the intensity ratio of the light for each frequency component is controlled by setting the frequency modulation intensity, which is the depth of the frequency modulation.

[0061] Next, the atomic oscillator starts, in parallel, a process related to control of the oscillation frequency (steps S21 to S25) and a correction process (steps S12 to S16) for the purpose of keeping the state of the irradiated light within a predetermined range.

[0062] First, the process (steps S21 to S25) related to the control of the oscillation frequency will be described. First, it is confirmed whether the control of the oscillation frequency has started (step S21). If the control of the oscillation frequency has not started (No in step S21), the difference frequency of the light generating unit 1 is set (step SS22). The difference frequency of the light generating unit 1 is set by providing a control value of the modulation frequency at the output of the frequency control unit 64. Then, a part of the light generated by the light generating unit 1 is transmitted through the gas cell 3 and detected as transmitted light by the light detecting unit 4. The amount of transmitted light is processed by the transmitted light processing unit 61, and the resonance frequency is determined by the frequency determining unit 62. Then, the oscillation frequency is controlled based on the determined resonance frequency (step S23). If the control of the oscillation frequency is to be ended, the operation is ended (Yes in step S24). If the control is not to be ended (No in step S24), the set value of the output of the frequency control unit 64 is corrected so that the difference frequency of the irradiated light coincides with the resonance frequency based on the resonance frequency determined by the frequency determining unit 62 (step S25), and the process proceeds to step S22.

[0063] Next, the correction process (steps S12 to S16) performed to keep the state of the irradiated light within a predetermined range will be described. First, the sweep range of the difference frequency of the correction light generating unit 11 is set (step S12). The difference frequency sweep range of the correction light generating unit 11 is set by the output of the sweep frequency control unit 72. The sweep range of the difference frequency is set to a range sufficiently wide with respect to the line width of the correction transmitted light spectrum expected from the wavelength and intensity of the irradiated light. A part of the light generated by the correction light generating unit 11 passes through the gas cell 3 and is detected as the correction transmitted light by the correction light detection unit 14. Then, the correction transmitted light processing unit 71 acquires the correction transmitted light spectrum and extracts the characteristic amount (step S13). Next, the state of the irradiated light is estimated from the characteristic amount extracted from the correction transmitted light spectrum by referring to the table stored in the storage unit 66 (step S14). As the state of the irradiated light, for example, the intensity of the total irradiated light, the polarization state of the irradiated light, the wavelength of the irradiated light before frequency modulation, the intensity of the irradiated light for each frequency component, etc. are estimated.

[0064] Next, it is determined whether the estimated light state is within the allowable range (step S15). The allowable range is, for example, a range in which a correction transmission light spectrum with a high Q value and suppressed asymmetric components is realized. If the estimated light state is within the allowable range (Yes in step S15), the process proceeds to step S13. If the estimated light state is not within the allowable range (No in step S15), the output value of the light source control unit 73 is corrected to correct the set values ​​of the wavelength and intensity of the irradiated light so that a transmission light spectrum with a high Q value and a symmetrical Q value is realized. In addition, the output values ​​of the sweep frequency control unit 72 and the frequency control unit 64 are corrected to correct the set values ​​of the frequency modulation intensity of the light generation unit 1 and the correction light generation unit 11 (step S16). Then, the process proceeds to step S11. The above-mentioned correction process (steps S12 to S16) is always executed in parallel with the process related to the control of the oscillation frequency (steps S21 to S25).

[0065] As described above, according to the atomic oscillator of the second embodiment, by constantly estimating and adjusting the state of light irradiated to the atomic gas using the above-mentioned method, it is possible to realize an atomic oscillator that suppresses deterioration in frequency stability caused by fluctuations in the state of light irradiated to the atomic gas that occur due to changes over time, etc.

[0066] <Embodiment 3> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an atomic oscillator in the third embodiment. Note that this embodiment shows an outline of the configuration of the atomic oscillator described in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 14, the atomic oscillator 100 in this embodiment has: A gas cell 101 containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit 102 for irradiating a gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit 103 for detecting transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; A control device 104 that determines the resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the amount of transmitted light detected; Equipped with The control device 104 is Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of a transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the corresponding information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light; It is structured as follows.

[0068] In this way, by estimating and adjusting the state of the light irradiated to the atomic gas, the atomic oscillator can suppress a decrease in frequency stability caused by fluctuations in the state of the light irradiated to the atomic gas due to environmental fluctuations.

[0069] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by a person skilled in the art can be made to the configuration of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] <Additional Notes> A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as follows: The following provides an overview of the configuration of the atomic oscillator and the control method according to the present disclosure. However, the present invention is not limited to the following configuration.

[0071] (Appendix 1) a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are sealed; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; Equipped with The control device includes: Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 2) 2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1, the control device controls an irradiation state of the irradiation light so as to correct the amount of shift of the resonance frequency based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 3) 3. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1 or 2, the control device controls the irradiation state of the irradiation light when the estimated state of the irradiation light is not within a preset allowable range. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 4) An atomic oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the control device estimates at least an intensity and a wavelength of the irradiation light as the state of the irradiation light, and controls at least the intensity and the wavelength of the irradiation light based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 5) An atomic oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a sensor for measuring a preset environment at the position of the light generating unit; The control device performs the estimation process when a change in the environment measured by the sensor is detected. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 6) 6. The atomic oscillator according to claim 5, The sensor measures a temperature or a magnetic field as the environment, The control device performs the estimation process when the fluctuation of the temperature or the magnetic field measured by the sensor is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 7) 7. An atomic oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A first light generating unit that irradiates the first irradiation light and a second light generating unit that irradiates the second irradiation light, the light detection unit detects a first transmitted light obtained by transmitting the first irradiation light through the gas cell and a second transmitted light obtained by transmitting the second irradiation light through the gas cell; The control device includes: determining a resonance frequency of the first irradiation light based on the detected amount of the first transmitted light to control an oscillation frequency; extracting a feature amount of a second transmitted light spectrum from the detected second transmitted light, and performing the estimation process to estimate a state of the second irradiation light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the second transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the first irradiation light by the first light generating unit based on the estimated state of the second irradiation light. Atomic oscillator. (Appendix 8) a gas cell containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; A control method for an atomic oscillator using the control device, comprising: the control device stores correspondence information in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiation light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiation light is associated with each other; the control device extracts a feature of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, performs an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiation light corresponding to the extracted feature of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controls an irradiation state of the irradiation light based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. Control methods. (Appendix 9) a gas cell containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; The control device in an atomic oscillator comprising: Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. Control device. (Appendix 10) a gas cell containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; The control device in the atomic oscillator includes: storing correspondence information in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. A program for executing a process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 Light generating unit 2 Magnetic field application device 3 Gas Cell 4. Light detection section 5. Environmental Sensors 6. Control device 61 Transmitted light processing section 62 Frequency determination unit 63 Fluctuation detection unit 64 Frequency Control Section 65 Optical control section 66 Memory section 11 Correction light generating unit 14 Correction light detection unit 21 Common light source 7 Correction control device 71 Correction transmitted light processing section 72 Sweep frequency control section 73 Light source control unit 100 Atomic Oscillator 101 Gas Cell 102 Light generating unit 103 Photodetector 104 Control device

Claims

1. a gas cell in which alkali metal atoms are sealed; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; Equipped with The control device includes: Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. Atomic oscillator.

2. 2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1, the control device controls an irradiation state of the irradiation light so as to correct the amount of shift of the resonance frequency based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. Atomic oscillator.

3. 2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1, the control device controls the irradiation state of the irradiation light when the estimated state of the irradiation light is not within a preset allowable range. Atomic oscillator.

4. 2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1, the control device estimates at least an intensity and a wavelength of the irradiation light as the state of the irradiation light, and controls at least the intensity and the wavelength of the irradiation light based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. Atomic oscillator.

5. 2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1, a sensor for measuring a preset environment at the position of the light generating unit; The control device performs the estimation process when a change in the environment measured by the sensor is detected. Atomic oscillator.

6. 6. The atomic oscillator according to claim 5, The sensor measures a temperature or a magnetic field as the environment, The control device performs the estimation process when the fluctuation of the temperature or the magnetic field measured by the sensor is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value. Atomic oscillator.

7. 2. The atomic oscillator according to claim 1, The apparatus includes a first light generating unit that irradiates the first irradiation light and a second light generating unit that irradiates the second irradiation light, the light detection unit detects a first transmitted light obtained by transmitting the first irradiation light through the gas cell and a second transmitted light obtained by transmitting the second irradiation light through the gas cell; The control device includes: determining a resonance frequency of the first irradiation light based on the detected amount of the first transmitted light to control an oscillation frequency; extracting a feature amount of the second transmitted light spectrum from the detected second transmitted light, and performing the estimation process to estimate a state of the second irradiation light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the second transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the first irradiation light by the first light generating unit based on the estimated state of the second irradiation light. Atomic oscillator.

8. a gas cell containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; A control method for an atomic oscillator using the control device, comprising: the control device stores correspondence information in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiation light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiation light is associated with each other; the control device extracts a feature of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, performs an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiation light corresponding to the extracted feature of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controls an irradiation state of the irradiation light based on the estimated state of the irradiation light. Control methods.

9. a gas cell containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; The control device in an atomic oscillator comprising: Correspondence information is stored in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light is associated with each other; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. Control device.

10. a gas cell containing alkali metal atoms; a light generating unit that irradiates the gas cell with irradiation light having at least two different frequency components; a light detection unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the gas cell; a control device that determines a resonance frequency of the irradiated light based on the detected amount of transmitted light and controls an oscillation frequency; The control device in the atomic oscillator includes: storing correspondence information in which a feature of a transmitted light spectrum, in which a difference frequency of the irradiated light and a light amount of the transmitted light are associated with each other, and a state of the irradiated light; extracting a feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum from the detected transmitted light, and performing an estimation process to estimate a state of the irradiated light corresponding to the extracted feature amount of the transmitted light spectrum based on the correspondence information, and controlling an irradiation state of the irradiated light based on the estimated state of the irradiated light. A program for executing a process.

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