JILA researchers have developed a new 3D quantum gas atomic clock that achieves unprecedented measurement precision by harnessing the behavior of a “quantum gas” of strontium atoms. The clock, which operates at extremely low temperatures, holds atoms in a cubic arrangement that prevents interactions and collisions, allowing for stable and precise measurements.
The new clock design represents a significant advancement over previous one-dimensional atomic clocks, achieving the same level of precision more than 20 times faster. The researchers believe this approach could lead to improved measurements and technologies in various fields, including timekeeping, navigation, and fundamental physics research.
Key technical points:
– 3D cubic arrangement of strontium atoms
– Quantum gas state of matter
– Eliminates atomic interactions and collisions
– Achieves record-high quality factor of 5.2 quadrillion
– Precision of 3.5 parts error in 10^19 in about 2 hours
– Potential for scaling up to millions of atoms and coherence times of over 100 seconds
The research, published in Science, was supported by NIST, DARPA, and the National Science Foundation.
Keywords: Degenerate, Fermi, Correlation, Coherence, Quantum
