JILA researchers have developed a novel atomic clock design that combines the benefits of continuous operation, strong signals, and high stability in a single next-generation atomic clock. The new clock uses laser “tweezers” to trap, control, and isolate individual strontium atoms, offering unique possibilities for enhancing clock performance using quantum physics.
The tweezer clock design is promising, with preliminary data suggesting it can operate self-verifying 96% of the time due to minimal downtime and well-isolated atoms. The design addresses various issues with other atomic clocks, such as maintaining ticking stability and detecting behavior without losing atoms.
NIST and JILA researchers have been building next-generation atomic clocks for many years, which operate at optical frequencies much higher than current time standards based on microwave frequencies. Optical clocks have applications beyond timekeeping, such as measuring Earth’s shape based on gravity measurements, searching for dark matter, and expanding quantum information sciences.
The tweezer clock design is still in early stages, with researchers planning to build a larger clock and formally evaluate its performance. The technology could potentially provide a new platform for quantum computing and simulation.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/09/jilas-novel-atomic-clock-design-offers-tweezer-control
Keywords: quantum, optical, clocks, entanglement, tweezers, precision
