Recently, a team of physicists and engineers from Vector Atomic, a US-based manufacturer of navigation and communication equipment, developed an incredibly precise and durable atomic clock. This new clock is capable of calculating time with an accuracy of around 1,000 times greater than most clocks used on ships today. The development of this advanced technology was reported by TechXplore on April 26th and was published in the journal Nature.
With the increasing sophistication of instruments on ships, precise timing has become more crucial than ever before. Even small inaccuracies in timing can lead to significant errors in navigation, especially when using GPS or other navigation systems. This can be particularly problematic for military ships where the consequences of such errors could be catastrophic. To address this issue, the team at Vector Atomic set out to develop a new atomic clock model that would be both sturdy enough for use on a moving ship and highly accurate.
The new atomic clock utilizes vibrating iodine molecules and is compact in size, weighing just 26kg and similar in size to three shoeboxes. This makes it suitable for use on most ships. During testing on the HMNZS Aotearoa in the Pacific, the clock proved to be almost as accurate as when running in a lab setting. It maintained a cumulative time error of around 300 picoseconds (300 trillionths of a second) each day.
The team at Vector Atomic is currently working on further developing this innovative clock with the goal of making it small enough for use in navigation satellites. If successful, this advancement could greatly improve the accuracy and reliability of timekeeping not only on ships but also in other applications such as aviation and space exploration.
In conclusion, the development of this highly accurate atomic clock by Vector Atomic is an impressive achievement that has significant implications for improving precision timing systems on ships and beyond. As military vessels continue to rely heavily on these systems for mission success, any improvements made are critical to ensuring safety and effectiveness in operations at sea or beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
The development of an incredibly accurate atomic clock by Vector Atomic is a remarkable achievement that could greatly improve precision timing systems used on ships worldwide.
Recently announced by TechXplore on April 26th