For many years, cesium atomic clocks have been reliably keeping time around the world. But the future belongs to even more ...

Atomic clocks have long been the gold standard for measuring time and frequency. Among them, optical clocks—using atoms like strontium or aluminum—have reached staggering levels of accuracy, with ...

Smaller version Illustration of a conventional atomic fountain clock (left) next to NPL’s miniature atomic fountain clock.

There are significantly different architectures for what are known as “atomic” clocks. Optically driven atomic clocks offer a new set of performance attributes. The optical atomic clocks use paired ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. MIT and Harvard scientists have built the world’s most precise optical clock, surpassing the quantum limit with entangled atoms ...

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, the ...

Optical lattice clocks are emerging timekeeping devices based on tens of thousands of ultracold atoms trapped in an optical lattice (i.e., a grid of laser light). By oscillating between two distinct ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have demonstrated a new optical atomic clock that uses a single laser and doesn’t require cryogenic temperatures. By greatly reducing the size and complexity of atomic clocks ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Scientists have taken a major step toward the ambitious global ...