The world’s most accurate and precise atomic clock pushes boundaries in physics

In humanity’s ongoing quest for perfection, scientists have developed an atomic clock that is more precise and accurate than any clock ever created. The new clock was built by researchers at JILA, a joint facility between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder.

This clock enables precise navigation in the vastness of space, as well as the search for new particles. It is the latest clock that goes beyond mere timekeeping. With their increased precision, these next-generation timekeepers can reveal hidden underground mineral deposits and test fundamental theories such as general relativity with unprecedented accuracy.

For atomic clock architects, it’s not just about building a better clock; it’s about unlocking the secrets of the universe and paving the way for technologies that will shape our world for generations to come.

The global scientific community is considering redefining the second, the international unit of time, based on this next generation of optical atomic clocks. Existing generation atomic clocks shine microwaves on atoms to measure the second. This new wave of clocks illuminates atoms with visible light waves, which have a much higher frequency, to count the second much more accurately.

Compared to current microwave clocks, optical clocks are expected to provide much higher accuracy for international timekeeping, possibly losing only one second every 30 billion years.

But before these atomic clocks can perform with such high accuracy, they must have very high precision; in other words, they must be able to measure extremely small fractions of a second. Achieving both high precision and high accuracy can have major consequences.

Trapped in time

The new JILA clock uses a web of light, known as an “optical lattice,” to capture and measure tens of thousands of individual atoms simultaneously. Such a large ensemble offers a huge advantage in precision. The more atoms that are measured, the more data the clock has to obtain a precise measurement of the second.

To achieve the new record-breaking performance, the JILA researchers used a shallower, softer “web” of laser light to trap the atoms, compared to previous optical lattice clocks. This significantly reduced two major sources of error: effects of the laser light trapping the atoms, and atoms bumping into each other when they are too close together.

The researchers describe their progress in a paper accepted for publication in Physical assessment lettersThe work is currently available on the arXiv preprint server.

Relativity measurement on the smallest scale

“This clock is so precise that it can detect tiny effects predicted by theories like general relativity, even at microscopic scales,” said NIST and JILA physicist Jun Ye. “It pushes the boundaries of what is possible with timekeeping.”

General relativity is Einstein’s theory of how gravity is caused by the curvature of space and time. One of the key predictions of general relativity is that time itself is affected by gravity: the stronger the gravitational field, the slower time passes.

This new clock design could enable detection of relativistic effects on timekeeping at submillimeter scales, about the thickness of a single human hair. Raising or lowering the clock by that minuscule distance is enough for researchers to discern a tiny change in the flow of time caused by the effects of gravity.

This ability to observe the effects of general relativity at the microscopic level could significantly bridge the gap between the microscopic quantum domain and the large-scale phenomena described by general relativity.

Navigating Space and Quantum Advancement

More accurate atomic clocks also allow for more accurate navigation and exploration in space. As humans venture further out into the solar system, clocks must keep accurate time over great distances. Even small errors in timekeeping can lead to navigational errors that grow exponentially the further you travel.

“If we want to land a spacecraft on Mars with extreme accuracy, we need clocks that are much more accurate than what we have now in GPS,” Ye said. “This new clock is a big step toward making that possible.”

The same methods used to trap and control atoms could also yield breakthroughs in quantum computing. Quantum computers must be able to precisely manipulate the internal properties of individual atoms or molecules to perform calculations. Advances in controlling and measuring microscopic quantum systems have greatly advanced this endeavor.

By venturing into the microscopic realm where the theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity intersect, researchers are opening a door to new levels of understanding about the fundamental nature of reality itself. From the infinitesimal scales where the flow of time is warped by gravity, to the vast cosmic boundaries where dark matter and dark energy hold sway, the exquisite precision of this clock promises to illuminate some of the deepest mysteries of the universe.

“We’re pushing the boundaries of measurement science,” Ye said. “When you can measure things with this level of precision, you start to see phenomena that we’ve only been able to theorize about up until now.”

This story is republished courtesy of NIST. Read the original story here.