Tag

Nuclear Clocks

All articles tagged with #nuclear clocks

science2 days ago•2 min saved

First Operational Nuclear Clocks Match Atomic Precision in Nature Papers

Researchers in Vienna and Beijing have demonstrated the first operational nuclear clocks, achieving precision comparable to state-of-the-art atomic clocks. These devices use thorium-229 embedded in calcium fluoride crystals, offering a more robust and compact alternative to current optical standards. The breakthroughs, published in Nature, enable new constraints on dark matter and lay the groundwork for future improvements in global timekeeping infrastructure.

via Financial Times|

#dark-matter #nuclear-clocks #quantum-physics

science-and-technology2 days ago•42 min saved

Thorium-229 Nuclear Clocks Achieve Standalone Operation and Dark Matter Constraints

Researchers at TU Wien and Tsinghua University have demonstrated the first operational thorium-229 nuclear clocks, which use solid-state crystals to measure time with high precision. These devices match the sensitivity of leading atomic clocks for detecting dark matter and offer a more robust, compact alternative to current optical standards.

via Nature|

#dark-matter #nuclear-clocks #optical-spectroscopy

military6 months ago•11 min saved

China’s UV Crystal Aims to Enable GPS-Free Navigation for Submarines and Missiles

Chinese researchers say a fluorinated borate crystal can convert laser light to 145.2 nm ultraviolet, enabling extremely precise thorium-229–based nuclear clocks that could support GPS-free navigation for submarines, missiles, and spacecraft. If perfected, this could improve “dead reckoning” navigation and reduce reliance on GPS, though practical deployment remains uncertain and the technology is far from ready.

via Interesting Engineering|

#gps-free-navigation #military #nuclear-clocks

science-and-technology3 years ago•2 min saved

Revolutionary Scandium-based Atomic Clocks Ensure Unprecedented Precision for Eons

Scientists have identified scandium as a promising element for the development of nuclear clocks, which could offer accuracy up to 1 second in 300 billion years. Unlike atomic clocks that rely on electron shell oscillation, nuclear clocks use the oscillation of the atomic nucleus for enhanced timekeeping. Scandium's atomic resonances are more acute than those of electrons, making it a potential candidate. However, generating the necessary oscillation in scandium requires X-rays with high energy levels. The researchers demonstrated a resonant width of only 1.4 femtoelectronvolts, suggesting an accuracy of 1:10,000,000,000,000. This advancement could have applications in extreme metrology, nuclear clock technology, and ultra-high-precision spectroscopy.

via The Register|

#accuracy #atomic-clocks #nuclear-clocks

science-and-technology3 years ago•8 min saved

"Breakthrough in Nuclear Time Race: Scientists Achieve Crucial Advancement"

Scientists, including researchers from LMU, have made significant progress in the development of nuclear clocks, which could provide a more precise measurement of time and offer insights into fundamental forces of the universe. By accurately characterizing the excitation energy of thorium-229, the element that could be used as the timekeeping component in nuclear clocks, the researchers have taken a critical step towards realizing this technology. Nuclear clocks could open up new research fields that cannot be explored with atomic clocks and have potential practical applications, such as detecting changes in the Earth's gravitational field. The first prototypes of nuclear clocks could be developed within the next decade.

via SciTechDaily|

#excitation-energy #fundamental-forces #nuclear-clocks