  Quantum projection noise will soon limit the best achievable precision of
optical atomic clocks based on lattice-confined neutral atoms. Squeezing the
collective atomic pseudo-spin via measurement of the clock state populations
during Ramsey interrogation suppresses the projection noise. We show here that
the lattice laser field can be used to perform ideal quantum non-demolition
measurements without clock shifts or decoherence and explore the feasibility of
such an approach in theory with the lattice field confined in a ring-resonator.
Detection of the motional sideband due to the atomic vibration in the lattice
wells can yield signal sizes a hundredfold above the projection noise limit.
