Scientists at JILA (a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder), have designed a nuclear clock, a novel type of timekeeping device that uses signals from the core, or nucleus, of an atom—unlike atomic clocks, which measure time by tuning laser light to frequencies that cause electrons to jump between energy levels.

Nuclear clocks could be much more accurate than current atomic clocks, which provide official international time and play major roles in technologies such as GPS. That means even more precise navigation systems (with or without GPS), faster internet speeds, more reliable network connections, and more secure digital communications.

Radicalizing physics

Nuclear clocks could also improve tests of fundamental theories for how the universe works, help detect dark matter, or verify if the constants of nature are truly constant—allowing for verification of theories in particle physics without the need for large-scale particle accelerator facilities. 

While this isn’t a functioning nuclear clock yet, it’s a crucial step towards creating such a clock that could be both portable and highly stable.

The research is described in the Sept. 4 issue of the journal Nature as a cover story. 

Citation: Chuankun Zhang, Tian Ooi, Jacob S. Higgins, Jack F. Doyle, Lars von der Wense, Kjeld Beeks, Adrian Leitner, Georgy Kazakov, Peng Li, Peter G. Thirolf, Thorsten Schumm and, Jun Ye. Frequency ratio of the 229mTh nuclear isomeric transition and the 87Sr atomic clock. Nature. Published online Sept 4, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07839-6  

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