NIST’s chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) is a major technological breakthrough that has enabled the development of small, low-power atomic clocks. These clocks are about one-seventh the size and use one-fiftieth the power of traditional atomic clocks, making them ideal for use in portable and battery-powered devices. The CSAC was developed over two decades of research, starting in the 1990s, and was first demonstrated in 2004. It uses a technique called coherent population trapping (CPT), which allows for miniaturization and reduces the complexity of the device. The technology was initially developed with support from DARPA and later commercialized by companies like Symmetricom (now part of Microchip Technologies), which has sold over 100,000 units for applications such as GPS receivers, oil exploration, and military equipment.
The success of the CSAC was driven by collaboration between NIST, DARPA, universities, and industry. NIST researchers, including John Kitching and Svenja Knappe, played a key role in demonstrating the feasibility of the technology, while DARPA provided the funding and coordination needed to bring it to market. The U.S. Army later supported the commercialization by helping to reduce manufacturing costs and encourage multiple vendors. Today, CSACs are used in a wide range of applications, from underwater sensors and seismic monitoring to military GPS systems and space-based laser ranging. Researchers are now working on next-generation CSACs that operate at higher frequencies and could offer even better performance. As manufacturing costs decrease, CSACs are expected to find use in more everyday devices, potentially transforming industries that rely on precise timing.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/noac/success-stories/success-story-chip-scale-atomic-clock
Keywords: atomic clock, chip-scale atomic clock, coherent population trapping
