Best clock ever: timekeeper based on lutetium atoms wows researchers
Physicists at the National University of Singapore have developed an optical atomic clock using lutetium ions that is four times more accurate than previous models. This device is stable enough that it would take over 260 billion years to lose a single second.
Why it matters
High-precision timekeeping is essential for advancements in satellite navigation, gravitational mapping, and fundamental physics research.
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Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Save article View saved research A close-up of the lutetium clock’s interior, which is the world’s most accurate timekeeper. Credit: Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore
Physicists have unveiled the world’s most accurate clock — a timepiece so reliable that it would take more than 260 billion years to lose a second.
Precision clocks are used in everything from satellite navigation to looking for dark matter. Ever more accurate clocks open fresh opportunities, such as mapping changes in Earth’s gravitational pull with exquisite precision, and could form the basis of a new definition of the second.
The lab-based timepiece 1 , made by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) using the rare-earth metal lutetium, is four times more accurate than the previous best clock 2 , which was based on calcium ions.
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