Lutetium atomic clock achieves precision record: ten times more precise than previous atomic clocks

An atomic clock based on the heavy metal lutetium sets a precision record: it would only show a deviation of one second after 55 billion years. For comparison: our universe is just 13.8 billion years old. This means that the clock developed by researchers at the University of Singapore is ten times more accurate than the best atomic clocks to date.

This leap in accuracy could lead to advances not only in fundamental physics, but also in practical applications, the scientists write in the journal Nature.

Atomic clocks are already indispensable in many areas of our lives. Without them, there would be no satellite navigation - because deviations of just one microsecond lead to positioning errors of several hundred meters. Atomic clocks also synchronize the Internet, trading on the stock exchanges and ensure the stability of power grids.

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The center of extremely precise atomic clocks is an ion, i.e. an electrically charged atom. Electric fields hold it in a vacuum chamber, where it is bombarded by a laser.