(March 9, 2015) Atomic
clocks are the most accurate clocks in the world. In an atomic clock, electrons
jumping from one orbit to another decides the clock’s frequency. To get the
electrons to jump, researchers shine light on the atoms using stabilised laser
light. However, the laser light has to have a very precise frequency to trigger
very precise electron jumps. It is however challenging to get the laser light
frequency ultra precise – there will always be a little ‘noise’. Now
researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have developed a method that reduces
the noise so that it is up to 100 times quieter.