Optical clock arrays for quantum metrology

The goal of this project is to investigate experimentally whether quantum states known as squeezed states can be used to enhance the performance of the next generation of atomic clocks that are based on optical transitions in strontium atoms. To do this, we will create three dimensional arrays of individual atoms trapped in focussed laser beams known as optical tweezers. The atoms will be coupled together by exploiting the long-range interaction between atoms in Rydberg states. The relevant thematic areas are atomic physics, quantum optics and precision measurement.