7-Oct-2026
The nuclear clock has begun ticking
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)Peer-Reviewed Publication
We now have a real clock. That, in essence, is the message behind not one, but two papers published in the journal Nature. In these articles, the research team led by Ekkehard Peik of the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and Thorsten Schumm at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien) reports on its latest results, which are not only spectacular in themselves but were also achieved much sooner than expected. Following their 2024 breakthrough, when, after decades of research, the first laser excitation of the thorium nucleus finally succeeded, the researchers have now developed a much more precise—as well as more compact—laser system that enables genuine clock operation. Using the laser system built by PTB and the thorium-doped calcium fluoride crystals produced at TU Wien, the team in Vienna was for the first time able to show that its clock could operate stably for over 24 hours without user intervention. This new nuclear clock could prove even more accurate than today’s optical atomic clocks. Moreover, the technology represents a bridge between the fields of atomic and nuclear physics, enabling experiments of the highest precision.
- Journal
- Nature