Imagine a clock so precise that even if the sun lived and died four times, it would only lose a single second. This incredible device is called an optical lattice clock, utilizing 40,000 strontium atoms held in a one-dimensional lattice. Operating at temperatures just above absolute zero, the clock’s ticking is based on specific energy levels for the electrons within these atoms.
The team behind these groundbreaking optical atomic clocks has been refining their technology for years, surpassing the limitations of traditional atomic clocks that rely on cesium atoms. By minimizing uncertainties and systematic errors, they have significantly enhanced the precision of this remarkable device.
Lead author Alexander Aeppli from the University of Colorado Boulder shared, “We’re employing various techniques to make it the most accurate clock possible,” in an interview with New Scientist.
But how much more precise can they get? The team believes they can achieve measurements ten times more accurate, possibly even reaching a level 100 times more precise. Their confidence is well-founded, as they have already improved precision by a factor of 10 in just a few years.
These optical clocks are poised to redefine the concept of a second, moving away from traditional atomic clocks towards these cutting-edge devices. Beyond timekeeping, these clocks hold the potential for groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
Professor Jun Ye, the senior author, expressed, “There will be very interesting discoveries that are waiting for us if we get to the times that are sensitive to the very small space-time curvature,” upon receiving the prestigious 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
With a sensitivity to relativistic effects 1,000 times greater than traditional atomic clocks, optical lattice clocks offer unparalleled opportunities to study gravity, test general relativity, and even explore the mysteries of dark matter.
Their groundbreaking research has been detailed in a paper available on Arxiv prior to peer review.
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