Chinese scientists develop nuclear clock for ultra-precise timekeeping

Chinese scientists have developed a nuclear clock that has succeeded in operating it stably, in a move that may pave the way for the development of more accurate means of measuring time.

Zhihui Hui, dean of the Faculty of Physics at Tsinghua University, said the new watch could represent an important step towards developing a new generation of time and frequency measurement standards, and promoting advances in the field of precision quantification.

Nuclear clocks are based on changes in energy levels within the nucleus of an atom, rather than on changes in the energy levels of the electrons around it.

According to China's Xinhua news agency, the new watch uses a laser to stimulate energy transfers inside the nucleus of the thorium-229 atom, a radioactive isotope, and relies on the frequency of these transitions as a reference for measuring time.

If developed for practical use, this technology is expected to improve the accuracy of satellite navigation systems, support deep space exploration, as well as ultra-precise measurement applications.

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