Scientists build the most accurate atomic clock yet
Scientists build most accurate atomic clock
Scientists have built the most accurate atomic clock to date, according to a Hacker News discussion. The thread also explores whether a hobbyist could construct a cheaper atomic clock using readily available gases like neon, nitrogen, or mercury vapor, potentially filling the price and phase-noise gap between TCXO and rubidium standards.
But would it be possible to build an atomic clock that sits between TCXO and Rb both for price and phase noise, by employing a non-exotic gas in a readily available lamp?
- onion2k
My back of a envelope maths suggests it's accurate to about 1 second every 300 billion years.
- chicken-stew
Somewhat off-topic:
I’ve often wondered if a hobby-class atomic clock can be built with “a less accurate gas” that is easy to excite and measure in a feedback loop simply because it’s available in a handy package that lends itself for experimentation without having to mess with melting glass and bottles of pressurised gas. E.g. neon, nitrogen or mercury vapour.
The reason I’m asking is because in RF we often need a stable reference, and these come in a clear $ for phase noise relationship: RC, LC, xtal, TCXO, GPSDO, YIG, Rubidium, …
Price-wise, all atomic clocks come after Rubidium. But would it be possible to build an atomic clock that sits between TCXO and Rb both for price and phase noise, by employing a non-exotic gas in a readily available lamp?
- nevitablentropy
As long as we don’t go building a glass clock…