American scientists have introduced a new atomic clock representing the pinnacle of precision in time measurement. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NIST-F4 clock shows a deviation of only one second over 100 million years.
Developed in a laboratory in Colorado, the NIST-F4 is a candidate to become one of the fundamental references defining the second.
The institute has submitted the clock for registration as the primary frequency standard with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) this month.
ATOMIC CLOCK WORKING WITH ATOMIC VIBRATION
Unlike ordinary mechanical or digital clocks, the NIST-F4 measures time based on the natural vibrations of cesium atoms.
These atoms are cooled by lasers to near absolute zero temperatures and then ejected upward in a fountain-like motion.
As the atoms fall, they pass through microwave radiation, and their energy levels change at a specific frequency. These energy transitions create the "ticks" of the clock.
These ticks occur exactly 9,192,631,770 times per second.
THE CLOCK SUPPORTS CRITICAL SYSTEMS
According to Liz Donley, Director of NIST's Time and Frequency Division, such atomic clocks regulate not only time but also many critical systems, from billion-dollar financial transactions to GPS satellites.
"Time signals used billions of times a day are vital for precise timestamps in electronic transactions," Donley said.
The NIST-F4 will serve as one of the systems guiding the United States' official time standard, UTC(NIST), and contribute to the global Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) standard.
YEARS OF WORK
The new generation clock is a continuation of the NIST-F1 developed in the 1990s. However, after a move in 2016, the performance of the older clock dropped, prompting scientists to rebuild the microwave cavity at the heart of the device from scratch.
The system developed now measures with precision to a fraction of a human hair.
Physicist Vladislav Gerginov said, "Evaluating a fountain clock is a very slow process because there is almost no room for error."
The new clock is currently running in sync with NIST-F3, ensuring at least one fountain clock is always active.
NIST officials emphasize that with the success of NIST-F4, the U.S. has reinforced its global leadership in frequency standards.
