Experts at the University of Colorado Boulder Unveil Groundbreaking Optical Lattice Clock with Record-Setting Accuracy

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have created an optical lattice clock that has set a new record for accuracy, missing only one second after 39.15 billion years. The device, which uses 40,000 strontium atoms trapped in a one-dimensional lattice, has an error rate of about eight billionths of a billionth. This level of precision is so minute that it would take the clock three times the age of the universe to miss one second.

The team behind this groundbreaking clock has been working on optical atomic clocks for many years, with the goal of surpassing the precision of conventional atomic clocks that use cesium atoms. They have spent countless hours reducing errors and systematic effects in order to enhance the device’s accuracy, according to lead researcher Alexander Aeppli. Their ultimate goal is to measure time with ten times more accuracy, and even potentially 100 times more.

This new type of clock will redefine the concept of seconds and offer new possibilities for scientific discoveries. Atomic clocks are already sensitive to relativistic effects, but optical lattice clocks are 1,000 times more sensitive. This means that they could help measure gravity with unprecedented levels of detail and serve as a new tool for testing general relativity. The team has published a detailed description of the device on the Arxiv database.