JILA Researchers Create an Even More Precise Optical Atomic Clock

A look inside the optical atomic clock cavity, with the red light being a reflection of the laser light used in the optical lattice

A look inside the optical atomic clock cavity, with the red light being a reflection of the laser light used in the optical lattice 

Image Credit
K. Palubicki/NIST

JILA and NIST Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder Physics professor Jun Ye and his team at JILA, a collaboration between NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder, have developed an atomic clock of unprecedented precision and accuracy.

This new clock uses an optical lattice to trap thousands of atoms with visible light waves, allowing for exact measurements. It promises vast improvements in fields such as space navigation, particle searches, and tests of fundamental theories like general relativity. The clock's precision can detect microscopic relativistic effects and might redefine the second as a time unit. The results of this ultraprecise clock were accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters. 

Read the full story about this advancement in clock technology at the NIST website. 

Post date
07/01/2024
Synopsis

JILA and NIST Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder Physics professor Jun Ye and his team at JILA, a collaboration between NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder, have developed an atomic clock of unprecedented precision and accuracy. This new clock uses an optical lattice to trap thousands of atoms with visible light waves, allowing for exact measurements. It promises vast improvements in fields such as space navigation, particle searches, and tests of fundamental theories like general relativity.

Principal Investigators
Research Topics