ThoriumNuclearClock

The EU-funded ThoriumNuclearClock project will pioneer the development of the first nuclear clock, based on an energy transition in the nucleus of the thorium isotope Thorium-229. This promises to exceed the precision of today’s best atomic clocks (which make use of changes in the energy levels of atomic shell electrons) by up to an order of magnitude. The project will develop three prototype nuclear Thorium clocks using complementary approaches in trapped ions and solids and develop vacuum ultraviolet lasers to excite the thorium isotope. Comparing these clocks amongst each other and with state-of-the-art optical clocks will allow to benchmark the new frequency standard before ultimately applying it to test fundamental physics.

Duration: 1 February 2020 - 31 January 2026