New innovations created at the University of Birmingham-led UK Quantum Technology Hub Sensors and Timing have reduced the size of quantum clocks.
A group of quantum physicists have developed new methods that not only shrink the size of their clock but also make it durable enough to be taken outside of the lab and used in the “real world,” working in collaboration with and receiving funding from the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
Atomic or quantum clocks are often seen as being necessary for ever-more exact approaches to fields like worldwide web communications, navigational systems, or international stock trading, where fractions of seconds could make a significant economic impact.
The standard (SI) unit of measurement may be redefined if atomic clocks with optical clock frequencies were 10,000 times more accurate than their microwave counterparts.
In the future, even more sophisticated optical clocks may have a substantial impact on both daily living and basic science. They provide greater resilience for the nation’s timing infrastructure by enabling longer intervals before needing to resynchronize than other types of clocks, and they open up potential positioning and navigation uses for autonomous cars.
These clocks’ unmatched accuracy can also aid in our ability to see beyond the confines of conventional physics and comprehend some of the most puzzling features of the cosmos, such as dark matter and dark energy. A fundamental physics concern, such as whether the fundamental constants are actually “constants” or change over time, will also be helped by such clocks.
Lead researcher, Dr. Yogeshwar Kale, said: “The stability and precision of optical clocks make them crucial to many future information networks and communications. Once we have a system that is ready for use outside the laboratory, we can use them, for example, on ground navigation networks where all such clocks are connected via optical fibre and started talking with each other. Such networks will reduce our dependence on GPS systems, which can sometimes fail.”
“These transportable optical clocks not only will help to improve geodetic measurements the fundamental properties of the Earth’s shape and gravity variations but will also serve as precursors to monitor and identify geodynamic signals like earthquakes and volcanoes at early stages.”
We’ve been able to show a robust and resilient system, that can be transported and set up rapidly by a single trained technician. This brings us a step closer to seeing these highly precise quantum instruments being used in challenging settings outside a laboratory environment.
Dr. Yogeshwar Kale
Despite the fact that these quantum clocks are developing quickly, their size current models fit in a van or a vehicle trailer and have a volume of roughly 1500 liters and their sensitivity to environmental factors limit their application.
The Birmingham team, which is part of the UK Quantum Technology Hub Sensors and Timing, has developed a method to overcome both of these difficulties in a container that is roughly 120 liters in volume and weighs less than 75 kilograms. Published in Quantum Science and Technology is the work.
A spokesperson for Dstl added: “Dstl sees optical clock technology as a key enabler of future capabilities for the Ministry of Defence. These kinds of clocks have the potential to shape the future by giving national infrastructure increased resilience and changing the way communication and sensor networks are designed.”
“With Dstl’s support, the University of Birmingham have made significant progress in miniaturising many of the subsystems of an optical lattice clock, and in doing so overcame many significant engineering challenges. We look forward to seeing what further progress they can make in this exciting and fast-moving field.”
The clocks generate and then detect atomic quantum oscillations using lasers. These oscillations can be measured very precisely, and since the frequency can be calculated, so can the time. Reducing external impacts on the measurements, such as mechanical vibrations and electromagnetic interference, is a difficulty.
The measurements must be made in a vacuum with little influence from the outside world in order to achieve that. An ultra-high vacuum chamber, the smallest one yet employed in the field of quantum timekeeping, is at the center of the new design.
The atoms can be trapped in this chamber and cooled to a temperature extremely close to “absolute zero” such that they can be utilized as precise quantum sensors. The group showed that they could fill the chamber with almost 160.000 extremely cold atoms in less than a second.
Additionally, they demonstrated that the system could be transported over 200 km before being set up and prepared to take measurements in less than 90 minutes. During the travel, the system was able to withstand a spike in temperature of 8 degrees over ambient temperature.
Dr. Kale, added: “We’ve been able to show a robust and resilient system, that can be transported and set up rapidly by a single trained technician. This brings us a step closer to seeing these highly precise quantum instruments being used in challenging settings outside a laboratory environment.”
