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'The Most Accurate Clock in The World': Atomic Clock Just Set a New World Record : ScienceAlert (opens in a new tab)

sciencealert.com · 2026-10-08

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'The Most Accurate Clock in The World': Atomic Clock Just Set a New World Record : ScienceAlert

sciencealert.com · 2026-10-08

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The source study

Lu+ optical frequency references with accuracy verified at the 19th digit

Nature · 2026Open access

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4 claims in this story

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Claim 1 of 4Not coveredScientists have built a new atomic clock based on lutetium that claims to beat all previous records for accuracy.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedaround four times better than anything previously recorded

Why this verdict

The abstract-level paper profile supports that the authors report two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references with evaluated fractional uncertainty near 1×10^-19. However, the headline claim that this beats all previous accuracy records, and specifically by about four times, requires comparative benchmark evidence that is not present in the abstract profile. The headline does not materially outrun the story body, which also states the four-times-better framing, but that comparative framing is not verifiable at abstract depth.

Study evidence

Two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19, were directly compared and found to agree within a measured relative frequency difference of [-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19.[-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19

“Here we report two 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19, which are directly compared by correlation spectroscopy and demonstrate agreement”

Study evidence

Each of two 176Lu+ single‑ion optical frequency references is assigned an evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19.≈1 × 10^-19

“Our optical references have been comprehensively assessed with evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18”

Claim 2 of 4Not coveredThe clock measures a second with an uncertainty level of under a ten-billion-billionth of a second, about four times better than anything previously recorded.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedunder a ten-billion-billionth of a second

Why this verdict

The paper profile supports an evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1×10^-19 for each Lu+ reference, which is broadly consistent with the story’s 'ten-billion-billionth' scale. But the exact phrasing 'under' that threshold and the comparison 'about four times better than anything previously recorded' are not established by the abstract-level evidence supplied. The underlying accuracy claim is directionally aligned, while the record-comparison magnitude is not verifiable at this depth.

Study evidence

“Here we report two 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19, which are directly compared by correlation spectroscopy and demonstrate agreement”

Study evidence

Each of two 176Lu+ single‑ion optical frequency references is assigned an evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19.≈1 × 10^-19

“Our optical references have been comprehensively assessed with evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18”

Claim 3 of 4Not coveredThe researchers say they verified the clock by building a second lutetium clock and comparing the two over 200 hours of measurements; after adjusting for general relativity, the differences were effectively zero.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated200 hours of measurements, taking 12 days in total

Why this verdict

The abstract profile supports the core claim that two independent Lu+ systems were directly compared and agreed, with a measured relative frequency difference of [-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19. Describing the difference as effectively zero is a reasonable lay rendering of agreement within uncertainty. However, the supplied abstract-level profile does not verify the stated 200 hours of measurements, 12-day duration, or the general-relativity adjustment details.

Study evidence

“Here we report two 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19, which are directly compared by correlation spectroscopy and demonstrate agreement”

Study evidence

Each of two 176Lu+ single‑ion optical frequency references is assigned an evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19.≈1 × 10^-19

“Our optical references have been comprehensively assessed with evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18”

Claim 4 of 4Not coveredThe team says the clock could eventually be miniaturized into a transportable system for practical applications such as underground magma monitoring.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The paper profile contains forward-looking application claims: improved timekeeping, millimetre-scale chronometric levelling, and tests of fundamental physics. It does not, at abstract depth, verify the story’s specific claim about miniaturizing a lab-scale system into a transportable device or the example of underground magma monitoring. The speculative and hedged framing helps, but the specific transportable/magma-monitoring claim is not supported by the supplied abstract profile.

Study evidence

Achieving evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19 in practical room-temperature 176Lu+ single-ion references will contribute to improving international timekeeping, enable chronometric levelling at the millimetre scale, and support tests of fundamental physics (Lorentz invariance, general relativity, searches for dark matter, and variation of fundamental constants).fractional uncertainty ≈ 1 × 10^-19 (reported for the Lu+ references)

“This accuracy, achieved in practical room-temperature systems, will contribute to improving international timekeeping and towards chronometric levelling at the millimetre scale, as well as tests of fundamental physics such as Lorentz invariance, general relativity, searches for dark matter and variation of fundamental constants.”

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What the story left out

Important study details the story did not include.

The paper separates statistical and systematic uncertainty components and relies on a comprehensive uncertainty assessment.
The story mentions a headline uncertainty level but does not convey the uncertainty-budget nature of the assessment or the distinction between statistical and systematic uncertainties.
From systematic shift evaluation and uncertainty budgeting
At the supplied abstract depth, detailed experimental parameters, measurement durations, full uncertainty-budget tables, and detailed systematic-shift procedures are not available.
The story provides details such as 200 hours of measurements and general-relativity adjustments, but the abstract-level paper profile cannot verify those details and explicitly notes that such methodological and numerical details are not included in the abstract.
From in vitro; systematic shift evaluation and uncertainty budgeting

4 things the story did carry across

The paper’s central result is the construction and direct comparison of two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references.
Each Lu+ reference is reported to have evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1×10^-19, with evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18.
The direct same-species comparison measured a relative frequency difference of [-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19 using correlation spectroscopy.
The paper’s application claims are prospective: improved international timekeeping, millimetre-scale chronometric levelling, and tests of fundamental physics, not experimental demonstrations of those applications.

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study summary

Lead result

in vitro

1Lead resultin vitroDemonstrate two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1×10^-19 and verify their agreement via direct same-species comparison.Expand

In plain English

The paper reports construction and direct comparison of two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1×10^-19. A same-species comparison using correlation spectroscopy yields a measured relative frequency difference of [-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19, supporting verification to the 5.7×10^-19 level.

Key findings

Two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19, were directly compared and found to agree within a measured relative frequency difference of [-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19.[-0.1 ± (5.7)stat ± (1.0)sys] × 10^-19

“Here we report two 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references, each with evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19, which are directly compared by correlation spectroscopy and demonstrate agreement”

What this piece can’t prove

Abstract provides quantitative headline results but does not include detailed experimental parameters or the complete uncertainty-budget breakdown.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

2in vitroProvide a comprehensive uncertainty assessment (systematic + statistical) supporting evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18 for each Lu+ reference in practical room-temperature systems.systematic shift evaluation and uncertainty budgetingExpand

In plain English

The paper reports that two independent 176Lu+ single-ion optical frequency references were comprehensively assessed and assigned evaluated fractional frequency uncertainties near 1 × 10^-19, with evaluated uncertainties stated to be below 10^-18. The authors separate statistical and systematic uncertainty components and validate the assessment via a same‑species comparison using correlation spectroscopy, reporting a measured relative frequency difference of [-0.1 ± (5.7)_stat ± (1.0)_sys] × 10^-19. The systems are operated in practical room-temperature apparatus.

Key findings

Each of two 176Lu+ single‑ion optical frequency references is assigned an evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19.≈1 × 10^-19
The authors state the optical references have been comprehensively assessed with evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18.< 1 × 10^-18

“Our optical references have been comprehensively assessed with evaluated uncertainties below 10^-18”

What this piece can’t prove

2 further details could not be confirmed from the summary.

3otherPosition the achieved accuracy as enabling improved timekeeping, chronometric levelling at millimetre scale, and tests of fundamental physics (Lorentz invariance, GR, dark matter, varying constants).interpretive extrapolation from achieved accuracyExpand

In plain English

The paper asserts that the demonstrated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19 for practical room-temperature 176Lu+ single-ion optical references will contribute to improving international timekeeping, enable chronometric levelling at the millimetre scale, and support tests of fundamental physics including Lorentz invariance, general relativity, searches for dark matter, and searches for variation of fundamental constants.

Key findings

Achieving evaluated fractional frequency uncertainty near 1 × 10^-19 in practical room-temperature 176Lu+ single-ion references will contribute to improving international timekeeping, enable chronometric levelling at the millimetre scale, and support tests of fundamental physics (Lorentz invariance, general relativity, searches for dark matter, and variation of fundamental constants).fractional uncertainty ≈ 1 × 10^-19 (reported for the Lu+ references)

“This accuracy, achieved in practical room-temperature systems, will contribute to improving international timekeeping and towards chronometric levelling at the millimetre scale, as well as tests of fundamental physics such as Lorentz invariance, general relativity, searches for dark matter and variation of fundamental constants.”

What this piece can’t prove

Interpretive/outlook statement based on extrapolation from the reported clock accuracy; the paper does not present new experiments directly demonstrating improvements in timekeeping, millimetre-scale chronometric levelling, or specific tests of fundamental physics.
Practical implementation and realization of the listed applications are not assessed experimentally in this work and would require additional validation and operational integration.

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