High-accuracy optical clock based on the octupole transition in 171Yb+

We experimentally investigate an optical frequency standard based on the 467 nm (642 THz) electric-octupole reference transition 2S1/2(F=0) -> F7/2(F=3) in a single trapped 171Yb+ ion. The extraordinary features of this transition result from the long natural lifetime and from the 4f136s2 configuration of the upper state. The electric quadrupole moment of the 2F7/2 state is measured as -0.041(5) e(a0)^2, where e is the elementary charge and a0 the Bohr radius. We also obtain information on the differential scalar and tensorial components of the static polarizability and of the probe light induced ac Stark shift of the octupole transition. With a real-time extrapolation scheme that eliminates this shift, the unperturbed transition frequency is realized with a fractional uncertainty of 7.1x10^(-17). The frequency is measured as 642 121 496 772 645.15(52) Hz.