Breakthrough paves way for ultra-precise ‘nuclear’ timekeepers

Researchers have used a laser to prompt tiny energy shifts in an atomic nucleus — a major step towards building nuclear clocks. These could be around 10 times more accurate than the world’s current best timekeepers, known as optical clocks, and less sensitive to disturbances. To turn the system into an actual clock, physicists will need to build higher-resolution lasers that nudge the nucleus with more precision.

Optical Clock