In the heart of the measurement of time there is a fascinating challenge: finding the most stable and reliable “tap” of the universe. Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States have been identified for some time An almost perfect candidate in one aluminum ion. His “beat” is of such an extraordinary regularity that even the atom of Cesio is being overcome, which is currently defending the unit of measurement of the second.
However, there is one: aluminum is an atom, so to speak, rather “shy” and difficult to manage and “read” directly with conventional tools such as Laser. To bypass this obstacle, the Nist team created an ingenious “pair system”, a technique known as quantum -logic spectroscopy. They have flanked the Aluminumion with a magnesium ionMuch more cooperation. Magnesium acts as a companion: it is easily controlled and cooled by laser and in turn helps to cool the aluminum and read his oscillations with unprecedented precision.
This milestone, the result of two decades of continuous improvements, was not easy to reach. Each component has requested a maniacal attention. One of the most difficult problems was the so ground “surplus micro damage” of the ions in the fall that it contains, small unwanted movements that endangered its accuracy.
The researchers have QuintThe redesigned De Val more often designed with a diamond waffle And adjusting gold coverings to cancel these disorders. Another critical factor was the empty room: traditional steel released hydrogen, interfering with delicate ions. The solution was to reconstruct the Titanium Chamber, to reduce the presence of hydrogen 150 times and let the clock work for days, instead of just a few minutes.
The highlight of this complex system is one of the most stable laser in the world, supplied by the Laboratory of Dr. Jun ye near Jila. To bring his stability to the clock to aluminum, his radius traveled for 3.6 kilometers long through optical connections of the fiber optic. This made it possible to reduce the time required for measurements from weeks to just a day and a half. The result of this monumental effort is one New World Record: an atomic clock that can measure time with precision up to the nineteenth decimal figureresulting 41% more accurate and 2.6 times more stable than the previous record holder.
Such an extreme precision is not a simple exercise of style, but opens the doors for scientific discoveries and technological progress. Will be A fundamental tool to contribute to the redefinition of the secondTo explore new concepts of quantum physics, to measure the geometric shape and gravitational field of the earth (Geodesy) and even to investigate the theories that go beyond the standard model, such as the possibility that the fundamental constants of the universe are not actually constant, is precisely precisely.
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