The South China Morning Post reported that preliminary results showed that the nuclear clock created by Chinese scientists and powered by thorium-229 is about six times more stable than its European counterpart.
It is worth noting that these two clocks were developed independently, but both research teams—one from Tsinghua University in Beijing and the other from the Vienna University of Technology—used thorium-229 nuclei embedded in crystals. These clocks rely on the constant rhythm of the atomic nucleus, rather than the movement of electrons around it, as in conventional atomic clocks.
The newspaper noted that the Chinese and European research teams are currently engaged in "friendly competition in developing next-generation clocks." Initial tests of the world's first two operational nuclear clocks showed that "the Chinese clock is about six times more stable than the Vienna clock."
According to Ding Shiqian, head of the Tsinghua University team, transferring the "counting mechanism" from electrons to the nucleus is an important step, because the nucleus is much smaller than the atom and less affected by external electric and magnetic fields.
He said: "This could allow nuclear clocks, in the long run, to achieve extremely high accuracy."
In addition, these clocks may also find practical applications, since the best current atomic clocks are extremely accurate, but they are still complex laboratory systems.
He said: "As for nuclear clocks, they have the potential to become more compact, reliable, and easier to operate. If this happens, these devices could go beyond specialized laboratories and find much wider applications in the real world."
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