PHYSICISTS TAKE A MAJOR STEP TOWARD MAKING A NUCLEAR CLOCK

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Scientists were recently able to use a tabletop laser to bump an atomic nucleus into a higher energy state, a feat that paves the path towards creating the first nuclear clock. Nuclear clocks keep time based on the inner workings of atomic nuclei. They could be more simple and portable than atomic clocks. They could also be used to test fundamental physics theories in new ways. Nuclear clocks are based on different physics than atomic clocks, so comparing the two types of timepieces could allow for new studies of fundamental physics.