Short answer
Researchers at the Centre for Quantum Technologies in Singapore say an atomic clock built with the element lutetium has reached the lowest uncertainty ever recorded for an optical atomic clock. The findings were published in a peer-reviewed journal. More precise clocks underpin global positioning systems such as GPS and efforts to redefine the second.
Highlights
- The clock's frequency was measured to 19 decimal places.
- Comparing two of the clocks produced the most precise clock comparison made to date.
- The team aims to make the clock portable enough to leave the laboratory.
1 min read
There is a new precision record in timekeeping. According to The Quantum Insider, researchers at Singapore's Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) say the atomic clock they built with the element lutetium is the most precise atomic clock to date, based on results published in Nature on 23 September.
Where does the record come from?
The team measured the clock's frequency to 19 decimal places, the lowest uncertainty reported so far for any optical atomic clock. When two separate lutetium clocks were compared with each other, the uncertainty between them was recorded as the most precise clock comparison ever made. According to the researchers, lutetium's low sensitivity to changes in temperature and magnetic fields is what made this result possible.
Why does it matter?
Atomic clocks support GPS and the synchronisation of global communication and transport networks, and international timekeeping bodies are weighing data from more precise optical atomic clocks as part of the redefinition of the second. As a next step, the team plans to shrink the laboratory-scale clock into a portable system.
Frequently asked
- Will this clock be used in GPS straight away?
- No. The clock is still in a laboratory setting, and the team first aims to develop a portable version.
Sources
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