Motivated by the ideas of using cold alkaline-earth atoms trapped in an optical lattice for realization of optical atomic clocks, we investigate theoretically the perturbative effects of atom-atom interactions on a clock transition frequency. These interactions are mediated by the dipole fields associated with the optically excited atoms. We predict resonancelike features in the frequency shifts when constructive interference among atomic dipoles occur. We theoretically demonstrate that by fine tuning the coherent dipole-dipole couplings in appropriately designed lattice geometries, the undesirable frequency shifts can be greatly suppressed.

• Received 12 August 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.69.023810