Physicists at JILA and NIST Announce Breakthrough in Nuclear Clock Development

Sep 4, 2024, 04:04 PM

Physicists at JILA in Boulder, Colorado, in collaboration with NIST and JILAscience, have announced a significant breakthrough in the development of nuclear clocks. By making a highly precise measurement of the 'nuclear clock' transition of the isotope thorium-229, they have demonstrated all the necessary components for a nuclear clock. This advancement, which was published in Nature, could revolutionize timekeeping by providing ultra-precise measurements. Potential applications include enhancing GPS accuracy, improving internet speed, and testing the constancy of fundamental forces of nature. The research represents a major leap forward in fundamental physics and precision measurements.