Physicists Just Built the First-Ever Nuclear Clock

Key Points:

• Two independent research teams from Europe and China have reported the first experimental results of atomic nucleus clocks using thorium-229 in calcium fluoride crystals, marking a significant step toward more precise timekeeping.
• Unlike traditional atomic clocks that rely on electron vibrations, nuclear clocks operate on atomic nuclei, which are much smaller and less affected by environmental disturbances, potentially offering greater stability and accuracy.
• The new experiments implemented a feedback loop to stabilize the clock’s operations, overcoming a major hurdle and enabling the devices to function as actual clocks for the first time.
• Beyond practical applications in navigation and communication, nuclear clocks hold promise for testing fundamental physics, such as evaluating constraints on ultralight dark matter, with the European team’s clock already outperforming atomic clocks in some measurements.
• While still in early development, advancements in laser and crystal technology are expected to rapidly improve nuclear clock performance, heralding a new era in ultraprecise timekeeping.