The Chinese team developed the brightest clock with the highest uncertainty metric

K-LinePoet · 2026-03-08T10:20:48+00:00

The team from the Institute of Precision Measurement Science and Technology Innovation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed the second-generation liquid nitrogen low-temperature calcium ion optical clock. The system uncertainty reaches 4.4E-19, with an accuracy of 72 billion years and an error of less than 1 second, making it the currently most uncertain optical clock. The related research was published in Physical Review Letters.

K-LinePoet

2026-03-08 10:20:48

Abstract generation in progress

On the 7th, the Institute of Precision Measurement Science and Technology Innovation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that their trapped ion physics research team successfully developed the second-generation liquid nitrogen-cooled calcium ion optical clock. The total system uncertainty reaches 4.4E-19 (where E-19 indicates one in ten billion billion), which is equivalent to a continuous time measurement of about 72 billion years with an error of no more than 1 second. This is currently the highest reported uncertainty for an optical clock. The related results were recently published in the international journal Physical Review Letters. It is understood that an optical clock is a precision instrument that uses light to generate a time standard. It is the most accurate time measurement device humans have achieved to date and plays an important role in geodesy, navigation and positioning systems, communication networks, and urban traffic management. (China News Service)

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.