# Atomic clock - optical pumping

#### Moth

I am doing some research on atomic clocks. From what I have read, I understand that in Rb atomic clocks you:

-optically pump a cell of Rb, so that the electrons are all in a single hyperfine state
-subject the cell to microwaves of appropriate frequency, so that the electrons will be stimulated into the other hyperfine groundstate
-see how well the microwave frequency worked
-modify the frequency accordingly and try again

However, I am unclear whether the optical pumping puts the electrons in the higher F=1 state or the lower F=2 state (and the microwaves then attempt to do the opposite). Can you tell me which is used?

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#### DrClaude

Mentor
However, I am unclear whether the optical pumping puts the electrons in the higher F=1 state or the lower F=2 state (and the microwaves then attempt to do the opposite). Can you tell me which is used?
First, $F = 1$ is the ground state, not the other way around. Second, why would it matter? The important thing is to get as polarized a sample as possible.

Third, the optical pumping is to the excited $F=2$ state (via the $F=3$ state in an excited electronic state). The microwave signal then induces emission from $F=2$ to $F=1$.

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