{
  "id": 12649069,
  "title": "The first stand-alone nuclear clock is ticking in Vienna",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/the-first-stand-alone-nuclear-clock-is-ticking-in-vienna",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-07T15:00:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nuclear-clock-vienna.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Vienna, scientists have developed the world's first nuclear clock that can stabilize itself, a significant milestone in the quest for highly precise timekeeping. For years, researchers have sought to harness the unique properties of thorium atomic nuclei, which have two closely spaced energy states and respond to laser light. In April 2024, a team led by Professor Thorsten Schumm at the Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics at TU Wien, in collaboration with Professor Ekkehard Peik's team from PTB Braunschweig, successfully identified this elusive nuclear transition. The thorium nuclei were then coupled with a conventional optical atomic clock, demonstrating the potential of this novel approach to surpass the precision of existing atomic clocks. The core of the nuclear clock consists of a crystal containing thorium atoms, which is illuminated with a laser. This setup allows the laser frequency to be adjusted precisely, ensuring the clock maintains an unwavering rhythm. Although the current precision of the Vienna nuclear clock is approximately 10^-15, it is still below the performance of the world's best optical atomic clocks. However, experts believe that further enhancements, such as stronger lasers and more advanced thorium crystals, could push the clock's accuracy to unprecedented levels.",
  "summary": "For decades, researchers around the world have been working toward this goal—and now major advances are following in rapid succession. Vienna is now home to the world's first nuclear clock that stabilizes itself, as atomic clocks typically do. This system has been shown to remain stable for more than 24 hours without intervention, and the related findings are published in the journal Nature.",
  "key_points": [
    "Vienna scientists create world's first nuclear clock",
    "Thorium atomic nuclei with two energy states identified in April 2024",
    "Nuclear clock precision at 10^-15, potential for further improvement"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Scientists in Vienna and Beijing create world's first nuclear clocks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/scientists-in-vienna-and-beijing-create-worlds-first-nuclear-clocks",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:24:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}