Optical clocks are emerging as the next standard for timekeeping, poised to redefine the second for the first time in over 50 years. Developed by organizations like NIST and research teams, these clocks use visible light waves instead of microwaves, allowing for much finer precision by measuring time with 100 times more stability than current cesium clocks. While currently complex laboratory instruments, portable versions are now being deployed for testing Einstein’s theories and improving navigation satellites.
These devices work by locking stable lasers to specific atoms, such as aluminum or strontium, using a tool called a frequency comb to translate light signals into readable data. There are two main types: trapped-ion clocks that isolate single atoms for purity, and lattice clocks that measure thousands of atoms simultaneously using a “magic wavelength” to cancel out interference. As these technologies mature, they promise to become the foundation for future global time standards and high-precision commercial applications.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/atomic-clocks/how-atomic-clocks-work/optical-clocks-future-time
Keywords: optical clocks, frequency comb, trapped-ion
