An 88Sr+ optical frequency standard for the NIST timescale
In this talk I will discuss the workings of the NIST timescale which generates UTC(NIST). Additionally, in support of the timescale, our group is also developing a singly-trapped 88Sr+ ion based clock. While the S1/2 -> D5/2 transition in the 88Sr+ ion system can support high precision, our initial goals of uncertainty at below a part in 1016 are comparatively modest. Our primary objective is rather high operational uptime in pursuit of frequent comparison with atomic clocks within the ensemble that forms the timescale.


