Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology of the United States of America have built an atomic clock with record precision. The device, physicists hope, will reveal some of the deepest secrets of the universe.
An experimental setup based on ytterbium atoms has already set several records. Now that atomic clocks are stable enough, scientists can use them not only for ultra-precise time measurement, but also for scientific projects. For example, atomic clocks can detect faint signals that have been roaming the universe since the Big Bang, or gravitational waves that have recently been confirmed by physicists.
The atomic clock can even be used to search for hypothetical dark matter, which constantly generates heated scientific discussions.
“Held by laser optical lattices, ytterbium atoms“tick”, jumping between different energy levels. That is, the general structure of an atomic clock is quite simple. The point is in the details, with the help of which stability, reproducibility and systematic uncertainty are achieved,”American physicists say.
Kolesnikov Andrey