Scientists Have Created a New Type of Optical Atomic Clock
The scientists of the QUEST Institute at PTB have developed and tested a new type of optical atomic clock. Highly charged ions are a form…
Atomic Clock News
MIT Physicists Harness Quantum “Time Reversal” for Detecting Gravitational Waves and Dark Matter
A new technique to measure vibrating atoms could improve the precision of atomic clocks and of quantum sensors for detecting dark matter or gravitational waves….
Ultraprecise Atomic Clock Poised for New Physics Discoveries – Loses Just One Second Every 300 Billion Years
University of Wisconsin–Madison physicists have made one of the highest performance atomic clocks ever. Their instrument, known as an optical lattice atomic clock, can…
New Atomic Clocks Measure Time Dilation of Einstein’s General Relativity at Millimeter Scale
JILA physicists have measured Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, or more specifically, the effect called time dilation, at the smallest scale ever, showing that…
Quantum Algorithms Bring Ions to a Standstill – Towards Even More Accurate Optical Atomic Clocks
QUEST researchers overcome a major hurdle on the journey towards even more accurate optical atomic clocks. Laser beams can do more than just heat things…
Atom Laser Creates Reflective Matter-Wave Patterns Similar to Light
Cooled to almost absolute zero, atoms not only move in waves like light but also can be focused into shapes called caustics, similar to the…
Working Overtime: NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock Successfully Completes Mission
Geared toward improving spacecraft navigation, the technology demonstration operated far longer than planned and broke the stability record for atomic clocks in space. For more…
Deep Space Atomic Clock to Improve GPS, Increase Spacecraft Autonomy
Designed to improve navigation for robotic explorers and the operation of GPS satellites, the technology demonstration reports a significant milestone. Spacecraft that venture beyond our…
New, More Precise Atomic Clock Could Help Detect Dark Matter and Study Gravity’s Effect on Time
The new atomic clock design, which uses entangled atoms, could help scientists detect dark matter and study gravity’s effect on time. Atomic clocks are the…
High-Energy Signals From Extragalactic Stars Connect Optical Atomic Clocks Across Earth for the First Time
Transportable radio telescopes could provide global high-precision comparisons of the best atomic clocks. Using radio telescopes observing distant stars, scientists have connected optical atomic clocks…
NASA Deep Space Atomic Clock Mission Extended in Search of Future Navigation Technology
Smart phone apps provide nearly instantaneous navigation on Earth; the Deep Space Atomic Clock could do the same for future robotic and human explorers. As…
What Is an Atomic Clock? And the Deep Space Atomic Clock?
NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock could be the most stable atomic clock ever flown in space. But what does that mean, and what do clocks…
Pulsed Optically Pumped Atomic Clock Design Achieves State-of-the-Art Frequency Stability
Chinese researchers have developed a pulsed optically pumped (POP) atomic clock with a frequency stability of 4.7 × 10-15 at 104 seconds based on a…
Newly Discovered Property of Cadmium Could Lead to the Most Accurate Clock Ever
Researchers experimentally determined a property of cadmium called the magic wavelength which is considered essential for the development of the most accurate clocks ever envisaged….
Next-Generation Atomic Clock Design Features Laser ‘Tweezer’ Control
JILA physicists have demonstrated a novel atomic clock design that combines near-continuous operation with strong signals and high stability, features not previously found together in…
Deep Space Atomic Clock Activated by NASA
An atomic clock that could pave the way for autonomous deep space travel was successfully activated last week and is ready to begin its year-long…
NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock Will Transform Space Exploration
What Is an Atomic Clock? The clock is ticking: A technology demonstration that could transform the way humans explore space is nearing its target launch…
NASA Researchers Test Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC)
In deep space, accurate timekeeping is vital to navigation, but not all spacecraft have precise timepieces aboard. For 20 years, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)…
