New Light-Based Atomic Clock Achieves 1,000 Times Greater Accuracy
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📰 The quick summary: Scientists developed a new optical atomic clock using indium and ytterbium ions that achieves 1,000 times greater accuracy than current timekeeping standards, potentially revolutionizing fields from GPS to fundamental physics.
📈 One key stat: The new clock reached a fractional systematic uncertainty of just 2.5 × 10⁻¹⁸, so precise that it would only drift by one second over 13.8 billion years.
💬 One key quote: “We use indium ions as they have favorable properties to achieve high accuracy. For efficient cooling, ytterbium ions are added to the crystal,” said Jonas Keller, one of the physicists at PTB.
1️⃣ The big picture: Timekeeping stands on the cusp of a historic transformation with a revolutionary optical atomic clock developed by researchers at Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. Unlike current standard clocks that use microwave transitions in caesium atoms, this new system employs light interactions with indium and ytterbium ions arranged in a crystal structure. The optical clock can ‘tick’ approximately 100,000 times faster than traditional caesium clocks, allowing for significantly finer time measurements. This innovation solves previous limitations by using multiple ions simultaneously, resulting in faster, more reliable measurements that could potentially redefine how we measure the second.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This technological leap enables timekeeping that’s 1,000 times more accurate than current standards, reaching a precision level where the clock would only drift by one second over the entire age of the universe. The multi-ion approach makes previously fragile optical clocks more reliable and practical, eliminating the need for weeks or years of data collection. Beyond just telling time, these ultra-precise clocks open doors to improvements in GPS navigation, geological measurements, communication networks, and sensitive physics experiments. The scalable design also creates a pathway for even more complex quantum timekeeping systems in the future.
3️⃣ What’s next: Scientists need to continue comparing different optical clocks globally to build confidence in their consistency before officially redefining the SI second. Researchers can now explore creating larger ion crystals or developing quantum many-body clocks for even greater precision. This technology may soon move beyond laboratories into practical applications for navigation, communications, and scientific research.
Read the full story here: The Brighter Side News – New optical atomic clock is 1,000x more accurate than today’s standard
