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Nuclear clocks tick for the first time
Chinese and European research teams have independently built the first working nuclear clocks, achieving timekeeping precision far beyond traditional atomic clocks.
What: These clocks use the nucleus of a thorium-229 atom rather than the electrons used in standard atomic clocks. The breakthroughs involved overcoming the technical difficulty of generating the exact laser frequency required to interact with the thorium nuclei.
Why it matters: Nuclear clocks could lead to a new standard of timekeeping that is resilient to environmental interference, enabling more precise GPS, deep-space navigation, and tests of fundamental physics.
Decoder
- Atomic Clock: A timing device that measures the resonance frequency of electrons in atoms (typically cesium) to maintain accuracy.
- Thorium-229: A radioactive isotope whose nucleus has a unique, low-energy state that makes it ideal for nuclear timekeeping.
Original article
Chinese and European research teams working independently have both achieved building a working nuclear clock. Both exploit the nucleus of a thorium-229 atom to keep time with extraordinary precision. Building a working nuclear clock has so far proven to be challenging, as the required laser light sits in a part of the spectrum that is technically challenging to generate and control. The Chinese team used a more powerful laser, while the European team worked with a crystal containing a higher concentration of the thorium nuclei.
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