Scientists are exploring a new type of optical atomic clock based on ytterbium-173 ions that could help define the future standard for measuring time.

The way time is measured is on the edge of a historic upgrade. At the heart of this change is a new kind of atomic clock that uses light instead of microwaves. This shift means timekeeping could ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Close up of pink-colored laser beam inside lab instrument. Now, physicists at the US National Institute of Standards and ...

Considering that 90% of American adults own mobile phones, the practice of interrupting strangers to inquire about the time has almost completely disappeared. Since these devices are so prolific in ...

Atomic clocks are widely known to be the most accurate timepieces available, but not all atomic clocks are created equal. Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are ...

Physicists at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics have developed a new atomic clock that is so accurate, it will not lose a second of time in more than 200 million years. That makes the ...

In humankind's ever-ticking pursuit of perfection, scientists have developed an atomic clock that is more precise and accurate than any clock previously created. The new clock was built by researchers ...

At this point, atomic clocks are old news. They’ve been quietly keeping our world on schedule for decades now, and have been through several iterations with each generation gaining more accuracy. They ...

Atomic clocks are key for satellites being able to provide positioning data that is used for applications such as navigation of vehicles, mapping and surveying, and even planning large constructions ...

Andrei Derevianko, an associate professor in the College of Science’s Department of Physics, is part of a group of physicists who were recently featured on Discovery Channel for their work in the ...

An extremely cold gas of strontium atoms is trapped in a web of light known as an optical lattice. The atoms are held in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment, which means there is almost no air or other ...