Atomic clocks are off by only 300 trillionths of a second every day

Experts developed an atomic clock that can calculate time about 1,000 times more accurately than most clocks on ships today.

A group of physicists and engineers at Vector Atomic, a manufacturer of navigation and communication equipment in the US, developed a new atomic clock that is said to be extremely accurate and durable, TechXplore reported on April 26. reported. In a study published in the journal Nature , they describe what goes into making the new clock and how it performed during real-world testing on a ship in the Pacific.

The container containing the new atomic clock sits on the deck of HMNZS Aotearoa during a three-week sea trial. (Photo: Nature)

As the instruments on ships become more sophisticated, the technology behind them also increasingly demands precise timing. Navigation requires radio systems using GPS or other navigation systems. With such systems, just a very small error in time when measuring signal transmission between satellites can lead to positioning errors of hundreds of meters. This can be a huge problem for military ships.

Currently, ships use atomic clocks that are sturdy enough to operate while the ship is moving, but are much less accurate than atomic clocks in research laboratories. In new research, the team of experts at Vector Atomic developed an innovative clock model that helps reduce the gap.

The new clock works using vibrating iodine molecules . It weighs just 26kg and is about the size of three shoeboxes - small enough to be used on most ships. The research team claims it is about 1,000 times more accurate than most clocks on ships today.

In the new study, experts collaborated with the New Zealand navy to test the clock aboard HMNZS Aotearoa while the ship conducted normal shipping operations for 20 days in the Pacific. Data from testing shows that the watch is almost as accurate as when running in the lab. Specifically, it maintains a cumulative time error of about 300 picoseconds, or 300 trillionths of a second, every day.

The team said they are continuing to develop the watch in hopes of making it small enough to be used for navigation satellites.