Related papers: Fundamental Physics with a State-of-the-Art Optica…
The performance of optical clocks has strongly progressed in recent years, and accuracies and instabilities of 1 part in 10^18 are expected in the near future. The operation of optical clocks in space provides new scientific and…
A high performance Space-Time Reference in orbit could be realized using a stable atomic clock in a precisely defined orbit and linking that to high accuracy atomic clocks on the ground using a laser based time-transfer link. This would…
The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) mission is developing high performance clocks and links for space to test Einstein's theory of general relativity. From the International Space Station, the ACES payload will distribute a clock…
Over the last decade of the 20th century and the first few years of the 21st, the uncertainty of atomic clocks has decreased by about two orders of magnitude, passing from the low 10^-14 to below 10^-16, in relative frequency . Space…
The use of ultra-precise optical clocks in space ("master clocks") will allow for a range of new applications in the fields of fundamental physics (tests of Einstein's theory of General Relativity, time and frequency metrology by means of…
The passage of time is tracked by counting oscillations of a frequency reference, such as Earth's revolutions or swings of a pendulum. By referencing atomic transitions, frequency (and thus time) can be measured more precisely than any…
In the last ten years extraordinary results in time and frequency metrology have been demonstrated. Frequency-stabilization techniques for continuous-wave lasers and femto-second optical frequency combs have enabled a rapid development of…
We present a concept for a high-precision optical atomic clock (OAC) operating on an Earth-orbiting space station. This pathfinder science mission will compare the space-based OAC with one or more ultra-stable terrestrial OACs to search for…
Optical lattice clocks (OLCs) enable us to measure time and frequency with a fractional uncertainty at $10^{-18}$ level, which is 2 orders of magnitude better than Cs clocks. In this article, after briefly reviewing OLCs and the history of…
The successful miniaturisation of extremely accurate atomic clocks and atom interferometers invites prospects for satellite missions to perform precision experiments. We discuss the effects predicted by general relativity and alternative…
The successful miniaturization of extremely accurate atomic clocks invites prospects for satellite missions to perform precise timing experiments. This will allow effects predicted by general relativity to be detected in Earth's…
Ultra-precise optical clocks in space will allow new studies in fundamental physics and astronomy. Within an European Space Agency (ESA) program, the Space Optical Clocks (SOC) project aims to install and to operate an optical lattice clock…
Recently invented and demonstrated, optical lattice clocks hold great promise for improving the precision of modern timekeeping. These clocks aim at the 10^-18 fractional accuracy, which translates into a clock that would neither lose or…
Einstein's theory of general relativity states that clocks at different gravitational potentials tick at different rates - an effect known as the gravitational redshift. As fundamental probes of space and time, atomic clocks have long…
An orbiting `photon clock' is proposed to test directly the relativity of simultaneity of special relativity. This is done by comparison of the arrival times at a ground station of three microwave signals transmitted by two satellites…
One of geodesy's main tasks is to determine the gravity field of the Earth. High precision clocks have the potential to provide a new tool in a global determination of the Earth's gravitational potential based on the gravitational redshift.…
Recent developments in frequency metrology and optical clocks have been based on electronic transitions in atoms and singly charged ions as references. These systems have enabled relative frequency uncertainties at a level of a few parts in…
We discuss perspectives for new tests of general relativity which are based on recent technological developments as well as new ideas. We focus our attention on tests performed with atomic clocks and do not repeat arguments present in the…
We investigate the performance of the upcoming ACES (Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space) space mission in terms of its primary scientific objective, the test of the gravitational redshift. Whilst the ultimate performance of that test is…
We outline a mission with the aim of directly detecting the gravitomagnetic field of the Earth. This mission is called Gravity Probe C. Gravity Probe C(lock) is based on a recently discovered and surprisingly large gravitomagnetic clock…