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Precision Perfected: How Nuclear Clocks Are Changing Time

^{Published on 2024-12-18 15:22:20 - SciTech Daily}
 

• Scientists are developing nuclear clocks using thin films of thorium tetrafluoride, which could revolutionize precision timekeeping by being less radioactive and more cost-effective than previous models.

The article from SciTechDaily discusses the development of nuclear clocks, which promise to redefine precision in timekeeping. Traditional atomic clocks, which rely on the oscillations of electrons in atoms like cesium, are already incredibly accurate, but nuclear clocks aim to surpass this by using the oscillations of the nucleus itself. The key advancement involves using thorium-229, whose nucleus has a low-energy isomeric state that can be excited by lasers, offering a potential frequency standard far more stable than current atomic clocks. This could lead to unprecedented accuracy in time measurement, impacting fields like navigation, fundamental physics, and even the search for dark matter. Researchers are currently working on overcoming technical challenges, such as stabilizing the thorium nucleus in a crystal lattice to enhance the interaction with lasers, and the article highlights recent progress in observing and manipulating these nuclear transitions.

Read the Full SciTech Daily Article at:
[ https://scitechdaily.com/precision-perfected-how-nuclear-clocks-are-changing-time/ ]

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