美国Vector Atomic公司Jonathan D. Roslund研究小组取得一项新突破。他们报道了海上光学钟。这一研究成果发表在2024年4月24日出版的国际学术期刊《自然》上。

部署的光学时钟将改善导航自主定位，为地球物理监测和分布式相干传感提供远程时间标准，允许远程量子网络的时间同步，并为国家时间标准提供操作冗余。虽然实验室光学钟现在达到分数误差低于10−18(参考文献)。这些高性能时钟的可移动版本，由于其尺寸、对环境的敏感性和成本而效用有限。

该研究团队报告了在移动平台上运行的，光学时钟的尺寸、性能和环境敏感性的必要组合的发展。35 l 时钟结合了分子碘光谱仪、光纤频率梳和控制电子设备。其中三个时钟在太平洋上的一艘海军舰艇上连续工作了20天，每天的计时误差低于300 ps。这种时钟的性能与氢微波激射器相当，但体积只有前者的十分之一。

在海上操作高性能时钟历来具有挑战性，并且对导航至关重要。这次演示标志着一项重大的技术进步，预示着未来光学计时网络的到来。海基光学钟结合了分子碘光谱仪、光纤频率梳和用于监测和控制的电子设备，在比有源氢激射器更小的体积内显示出更高的精度。

附：英文原文

Title: Optical clocks at sea

Author: Roslund, Jonathan D., Cingz, Arman, Lunden, William D., Partridge, Guthrie B., Kowligy, Abijith S., Roller, Frank, Sheredy, Daniel B., Skulason, Gunnar E., Song, Joe P., Abo-Shaeer, Jamil R., Boyd, Martin M.

Issue&Volume: 2024-04-24

Abstract: Deployed optical clocks will improve positioning for navigational autonomy1, provide remote time standards for geophysical monitoring2 and distributed coherent sensing3, allow time synchronization of remote quantum networks4,5 and provide operational redundancy for national time standards. Although laboratory optical clocks now reach fractional inaccuracies below 10−18 (refs. 6,7), transportable versions of these high-performing clocks8,9 have limited utility because of their size, environmental sensitivity and cost10. Here we report the development of optical clocks with the requisite combination of size, performance and environmental insensitivity for operation on mobile platforms. The 35 l clock combines a molecular iodine spectrometer, fibre frequency comb and control electronics. Three of these clocks operated continuously aboard a naval ship in the Pacific Ocean for 20 days while accruing timing errors below 300 ps per day. The clocks have comparable performance to active hydrogen masers in one-tenth the volume. Operating high-performance clocks at sea has been historically challenging and continues to be critical for navigation. This demonstration marks a significant technological advancement that heralds the arrival of future optical timekeeping networks. Sea-based optical clocks combining a molecular iodine spectrometer, fibre frequency comb and electronics for monitoring and control demonstrate high precision in a smaller volume than active hydrogen masers.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07225-2

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07225-2