In 2001, Japanese physicist Hidetoshi Katori proposed a new type of atomic clock that only loses a second every 30 billion years, a period longer than the current age of the universe. The ...

Traditional optical atomic clocks are not only big but complex, requiring specialized laser setups and optical components. The size of this setup makes the optical atomic clock impractical for ...

With access to a 10-MHz timebase from a cesium fountain atomic clock — no less a clock than the one that’s used to define the SI second, by the way — [Daniel] looked for ways to sync the ...

Atomic clocks record time using microwaves at a frequency matched to electron transitions in certain atoms. They are the basis upon which a second is defined. But there is a new kid on the block ...

For decades, atomic clocks have been the pinnacle of precision ... we wouldn't have had the same level of confidence in our setup," adds JILA graduate student Tian Ooi, another team member.

Optical lattice clocks, the pinnacle of timekeeping, are key to exploring the relationship between quantum mechanics and ...