World's most accurate atomic clock loses 1s in 260B years
What's the story
A research team from Singapore has built the world's most accurate atomic clock, beating scientists from China and the United States. The new clock is based on a single ion of a rare earth metal element called lutetium. It is so precise that it would lose just one second in 260 billion years, nearly 20 times the age of our universe.
Enhanced precision
Clock beats previous record holders from China, US
The new lutetium-based clock is about four times more accurate than the previous record holder, a calcium-ion clock developed by a Chinese Academy of Sciences team in Wuhan.
It also beats an aluminum-ion clock unveiled last year by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.
This breakthrough highlights Singapore's growing prowess in cutting-edge technology and research.
Technological advancement
The project can improve timekeeping
The new project can improve timekeeping and also pave the way for redefining the second, as per the team at the National University of Singapore's Centre for Quantum Technologies.
It may also offer a powerful tool to test fundamental physics, ranging from the search for dark matter to Einstein's theory of general relativity, the researchers wrote in a paper published in the Nature journal.