Related papers: Optical Atomic Clock aboard an Earth-orbiting Spac…
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 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…
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…
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…
Recent advances in optical atomic clocks and optical time transfer have enabled new possibilities in precision metrology for both tests of fundamental physics and timing applications. Here we describe a space mission concept that would…
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…
Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever constructed and have found many applications in fundamental science and technology. The use of highly charged ions (HCI) as a new class of references for highest accuracy…
The new generation of atomic clocks will reach unprecedented uncertainties in frequency of $10^{-18}$. In order to prepare space missions such as ACES, we compute all relativistic frequency shifts detectable during this mission in the case…
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…
We develop a high-precision model for relativistic observables of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). We develop all relativistic coordinate transformations that are needed to…
Since the atomic clock was invented, its performance has been improved for one digit every decade until 90s of last century when the traditional atomic clock almost reached its limit. With laser cooled atoms, the performance can be further…
It is possible that bosonic dark matter forms halos around the Sun or the Earth. We discuss the possibility of probing such halos with atomic clocks. Focusing on either a Higgs portal or photon portal interaction between the dark matter and…
Optical atomic clocks represent the state-of-the-art in the frontier of modern measurement science. In this article we provide a detailed review on the development of optical atomic clocks that are based on trapped single ions and many…
We review experimental progress on optical atomic clocks and frequency transfer, and consider the prospects of using these technologies for geodetic measurements. Today, optical atomic frequency standards have reached relative frequency…
State-of-the-art atomic clocks are based on the precise detection of the energy difference between two atomic levels, measured as a quantum phase accumulated in a given time interval. Optical-lattice clocks (OLCs) now operate at or near the…
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…
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…
In the global network of institutions engaged with the realization of International Atomic Time (TAI), atomic clocks and time scales are compared by means of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and by employing telecommunication satellites…
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…
Atomic clocks are at the leading edge of accuracy and precision and are essential for synchronization of distributed critical infrastructure, position, navigation and timing, and scientific applications. There has been a breakthrough in the…