Scientists have just created the world’s first working nuclear clock prototype! This is a huge deal because it means clocks could become way more accurate than ever before. Recently, scientists figured out how to measure tiny differences in energy states of thorium atoms, which led to this cool new clock.
Physicist Thorsten Strumm from Vienna University of Technology and his team did this by mixing a strontium atomic clock with a crystal full of thorium atoms. This big step means timekeeping could get super precise. Strumm said, “With this prototype, we’ve shown that thorium works for measuring time. Now we just need to refine it; there’s nothing major stopping us.”
Here’s how it works: Atomic clocks measure time based on the radiation atoms give off when they change energy states. Nuclear clocks are similar, but they use nuclear energy, which takes a lot more to change. Because of this, nuclear clocks could end up being way more stable and accurate. This will help scientists get a better grasp of the universe’s secrets.
In recent months, they figured out how much energy thorium nuclei need for the clock to work. Strumm and his team used this to create the clock’s “tick tock.”
Right now, this new nuclear clock isn’t more accurate than atomic clocks, but it’s consistent. Researchers believe it could eventually be even better than the best atomic clocks in just 2-3 years.
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