The Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien) has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in timekeeping. After years of research, a team led by Professor Thorsten Schumm unveiled the world’s first nuclear clock. This revolutionary clock, created in collaboration with U.S. institutions, could redefine precision in time measurement and impact many scientific fields. The clock operates by manipulating atomic nuclei with laser beams, taking timekeeping accuracy to unprecedented levels.
By Joseph Gutierrez
The Key Breakthrough: Laser-Controlled Nuclei
Earlier this year, Schumm’s team successfully switched an atomic nucleus from one state to another using a laser. This was a major breakthrough that allowed for extremely precise measurements. Shortly after, the team combined an optical atomic clock with a high-energy laser system and a crystal containing thorium nuclei. This laid the foundation for the development of the world’s first nuclear clock, which marks a new era in timekeeping.
How a Nuclear Clock Works
Every clock needs a reference to keep time, whether it’s the swinging of a pendulum or the vibrations of atoms. Traditional atomic clocks use electromagnetic waves to track time by monitoring electron transitions. However, these systems can drift over time, requiring regular adjustments. A nuclear clock improves on this by using atomic nuclei, which are much smaller and less susceptible to interference, making them a more stable and precise timekeeping source.
Thorium: The Key to Precision
The idea of using nuclear transitions for timekeeping has been around for decades, but it requires immense energy. The thorium nucleus is an exception, as it can be controlled with lasers. Determining the energy difference between thorium’s nuclear states was a significant challenge that scientists tackled this year. This discovery enabled the construction of a nuclear clock, which can now measure time more accurately than any previous atomic clock.
Revolutionary Applications in Science
The nuclear clock has the potential to revolutionize not only timekeeping but also various scientific fields. It allows for measurements of fundamental physical constants with extreme precision. This could lead to advancements in geology, astrophysics, and fundamental physics. In just a few years, nuclear clocks could surpass the precision of today’s most advanced atomic clocks, making them a key tool for future scientific exploration.
The creation of the nuclear clock is a major step forward in precision science, offering new insights into time and the physical universe. Its impact will likely be felt in many areas of research and technology in the years to come.
Based on content from www.ingenieur.de and additional research.