Ashby Hilton

Research Interests

Atomic and Molecular Physics Lasers and Quantum Electronics Nonlinear Optics and Spectroscopy Optics Optoelectronics & Photonics Quantum Optics Quantum Physics Signal Processing

Dr Ashby Hilton

Grant-Funded Research Fellow

Office of Sciences

College of Sciences

I am passionate researcher working in the fields of precision metrology and quantum optics. I have a background in hands-on lab work, with experience in designing analogue electronics, ultra-high vacuum experiments, and feedback and control systems. Outside of the lab I take to hills and spend my weekends rock climbing or cycling, or on quieter days, working in the garden and baking.

During my PhD I worked on developing a experiment capable of laser cooling rubidium atoms, trapping them, and funneling them into the centre of a specialised hollow-core fibre. This combination of high optical intensities and large atomic densities over a long one-dimensional medium is an excellent platform for testing cutting-edge quantum-optics protocols such as quantum memories and optical pulse storage.

My current research is focused around the construction of a compact optical-atomic clock based on an extremely well-defined transition in Ytterbium. This project combines a wide range of specialities including precision measurement, automation and control, quantum optics, mechanical design and miniaturisation, vacuum technology, and so much more. Luckily we have a great team together, and lots of exciting ideas to try out.

Date Position Institution name
2020 - ongoing Grant Funded Researcher University of Adelaide

Date Institution name Country Title
2020 University of Adelaide Australia PhD

Year Citation
2025 Hilton, A. P., Offer, R. F., Klantsataya, E., Scholten, S. K., Bourbeau Hébert, N., Billington, C. J., . . . Luiten, A. N. (2025). Demonstration of a mobile optical clock ensemble at sea. Nature Communications, 16(1), 11 pages.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC1
2023 Strathearn, A., Offer, R. F., Hilton, A. P., Klantsataya, E., Luiten, A. N., Anderson, R. P., . . . Stace, T. M. (2023). Wave-front curvature in optical atomic beam clocks. Physical Review A, 108(1), 013105-1-013105-12.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4
2021 Bourbeau Hebert, N., Scholten, S., Hilton, A., Offer, R., Perrella, C., & Luiten, A. (2021). Orthogonalizing the control of frequency combs for optical clockworks. Optics Letters, 46(19), 4972-4975.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC2
2020 Hilton, A. P., Light, P. S., Talbot, L., & Luiten, A. N. (2020). Optimal design for spectral narrowing and fast frequency sweep of an interferometer-stabilized laser. Optics Letters, 45(1), 45-48.
DOI Scopus8 WoS7
2020 Hilton, A. P., Luiten, A. N., & Light, P. S. (2020). Light-shift spectroscopy of optically trapped atomic ensembles. New Journal of Physics, 22(3), 033042-1-033042-10.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2020 Bourbeau Hebert, N., Hilton, A. P., Light, P. S., & Luiten, A. N. (2020). Hertz-level frequency comparisons between diverse color lasers without a frequency comb. Optics Letters, 45(15), 4196-4199.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5
2019 Hilton, A. P., Perrella, C., Luiten, A. N., & Light, P. S. (2019). Dual-color magic-wavelength trap for suppression of light shifts in atoms. Physical Review Applied, 11(2), 1-7.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9
2018 Hilton, A., Perrella, C., Benabid, F., Sparkes, B., Luiten, A., & Light, P. (2018). High-efficiency cold-atom transport into a waveguide trap. Physical Review Applied, 10(4), 044034-1-044034-9.
DOI Scopus19 WoS19
2017 Heo, M. -S., Park, S., Lee, W. -K., Lee, S. -B., Hong, H. -G., Kwon, T., . . . Hartnett, J. (2017). Drift-compensated low-noise frequency synthesis based on a cryoCSO for the KRISS-F1. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 66(6), 1343-1348.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5
2017 Lee, S., Heo, M., Kwon, T., Hong, H., Lee, S., Hilton, A., . . . Park, S. (2017). Operating atomic fountain clock using robust DBR laser: short-term stability analysis. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 66(6), 1349-1354.
DOI Scopus13 WoS12
2017 Al-Ashwal, W., Hilton, A., Luiten, A., & Hartnett, J. (2017). Low phase noise frequency synthesis for ultrastable X-band oscillators. IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, 27(4), 392-394.
DOI Scopus8 WoS7
2016 Light, P., Hilton, A., White, R., Perrella, C., Anstie, J., Hartnett, J., . . . Luiten, A. (2016). Bidirectional microwave and optical signal dissemination. Optics Letters, 41(5), 1014-1017.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC1
2014 Williams, J. F., Samarin, S., Targhagh, O., Hilton, A., Sudarshan, K., Guagliardo, P., . . . Artamonov, O. (2014). Scattering of free electrons by free electrons. Physical Review A, 89(6), 062717-1-062717-6.
DOI Scopus2 WoS3

Year Citation
- White, B., Sparkes, B., Offer, R., Hilton, A., Luiten, A., Ironside, C., . . . Sun, X. (n.d.). Towards a Compact Ytterbium Magneto Optical Trap for use in Precision Timekeeping Applications. Poster session presented at the meeting of Unknown Conference.
DOI

Year Citation
- Light, P., & Hilton, A. (n.d.). Guiding atoms into hollow fibre with attractive optical guide.
DOI
- Hilton, A. (n.d.). Simulation of Atoms Bouncing from Near Detuned Dipole Trap.
DOI
- Hilton, A. (n.d.). Simulation of Atoms Being Guided into HC-PCF.
DOI
- Hilton, A. (n.d.). Movie of Atoms Coupling Into HC-PCF.
DOI
- Hilton, A. (n.d.). Movie of Atoms Bouncing from Fibre.
DOI

Year Citation
2024 Hilton, A. P., Offer, R. F., Klantsataya, E., Scholten, S. K., Hébert, N. B., Billington, C., . . . Luiten, A. N. (2024). Demonstration of a Mobile Optical Clock Ensemble at Sea.
2024 White, B., Offer, R., Hilton, A., & Luiten, A. (2024). The SWaP plot: Visualising the performance of portable atomic clocks as
a function of their size, weight and power.
2018 Hilton, A. P., Perrella, C., Luiten, A. N., & Light, P. S. (2018). Dual-colour magic-wavelength trap for suppression of light shifts in
atoms.

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