Chinese researchers develop ultra-precise nuclear clock using thorium core
A Chinese team has built a stable nuclear clock based on atomic nucleus energy transitions, paving the way for advanced timekeeping applications.
Key Takeaways
AIChinese researchers have successfully developed a stable nuclear clock in a scientific breakthrough aimed at enhancing time measurement accuracy by relying on changes in energy levels within the atomic nucleus, rather than the surrounding electrons.
According to Xinhua News Agency, this new technology opens the door to compact, high-precision timekeeping devices that could benefit advanced applications such as satellite navigation systems and deep space exploration missions.
The developed clock uses lasers to stimulate specific energy transitions within the nucleus of the radioactive isotope thorium-229, using the frequency of these transitions as a reference for time measurement.
The report explained that the research team employed a continuous vacuum ultraviolet laser with a wavelength of 148 nanometers, along with a calcium fluoride crystal doped with thorium-229.
A step toward a new time standard
Zhai Hui, dean of the School of Physics at Tsinghua University, noted that this innovation is expected to help establish a new standard for time and frequency, marking a significant advance in ultra-precise quantum measurement technologies.