Atomic Clocks: A Powerful Tool for Science

What kinds of objects are out there in the universe? What is Earth’s exact shape? When will volcanoes and earthquakes unleash their fury? What is the mysterious dark matter that’s believed to make up most of the universe’s mass? Are the fundamental constants of physics truly constant? What happens in the realm where the predictions of relativity and quantum physics overlap?

Was Einstein right?

These fascinating but disparate questions share a surprising common thread: All could be answered with the help of atomic clocks.

That’s because time is interwoven into the fabric of the universe. When you measure the ticking of time, you are measuring many other things at the same ... time. That has helped make the atomic clock a powerful tool for advancing science — at once a telescope that helps us interpret distant signals and a microscope that offers a window into the fundamental nature of reality. These remarkable devices have supercharged progress in scientific fields seemingly far removed from timekeeping.

Let’s dive in.

Putting Einstein to the Test

Credit: J. Wang/NIST

 

Mapping the Earth

Credit: J. Wang/NIST

Atomic Time Heads to Space

Credit: J. Wang/NIST

 

The Dark Side of Things

Credit: J. Wang/NIST

A Telescope the Size of Earth 

Credit: J. Wang/NIST

The Quantum Future

Credit: J. Wang/NIST