What are the importance of the optical atomic clocks and How do they work ?

The optical atomic clocks 

The atomic clock

It is popular that the atomic clock retains its accuracy within 1 sec for every 300 years , and it was among one of the first clocks to better the accuracy of conventional timekeeping methods , And the atomic clocks are used in telecommunications .

You should know that timing for electronics in high-energy accelerator swill be improved , where the particle physics is investigated , Synchronization is very important in these experiments , and what we are developing in the way of optical atomic clocks can only help .

The atomic clock

We must know that the optical atomic clocks are built on different atoms and ions , and then comparing the differences can provide verifiable laboratory measurements that could possibly answer the  questions as to whether some natural constants might experience change .

Everyone should know that the most precise commercially available atomic clocks are accurate to within less than 1 second over 3 million years , Why the need to be so accurate ? It’s a good question when managing our time in everyday life seems such an inexact science .

Everyone must know that while the precision of these ultra-accurate clocks may seem impressive , they aren’t nearly as good at keeping time as laboratory clocks which are 100 times more precise , And research is under way to make them perform even better but setting aside the quest for ever more accurate timepieces that could prove or disprove the laws of physics , The atomic clocks have become an everyday necessity in the modern world .

The uses of atomic clocks

The atomic clock

Everyone should know that the atomic clocks are characterized by two physical values which are the accuracy and stability over a given period of time , A clock is selected depending on what it will be used for , Less accurate but highly stable atomic clocks are the most widely available and least expensive on the market but here we have chosen to focus on the most accurate clocks that can function autonomously .

Everybody should know that Synchronisation must therefore be accurate to within 1/100 of a microsecond , Satellite clocks must also be able to function without being adjusted for at least 12 hours , These clocks must be accurate to less than 1 second over 140,000 years .

It is popular that if the networks are not functioning at the same speed , The information may be lost or the data highways can become congested , To avoid this , the International Telecommunication Union imposes a standard for operators that limits the difference in speeds between two networks , These accuracy requirements  ( 1 second over 3,000 years )  can only be met by the atomic clocks .

Everybody should know that the network synchronisation requirement applies to high-speed mobile networks ( 4G ) but also to electricity distribution networks which must link the energy sources with identical frequencies and synchronised phases , The development of smart grids has made the use of accurate clocks even more essential .

You should know that TAI is a time scale generated after the fact by comparing different clocks , often by measuring the differential with a particular GPS satellite clock at the exact same moment ( common view clock synchronisation ) , In order to have a time scale that is predictable in advance , many countries generate local atomic time by setting an atomic clock by TAI .

The atomic clock

You have known that the new uses of atomic clocks are emerging every day , particularly involving GPS and other satellite navigation systems , The first atomic clock was built in 1949 by National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) and utilized ammonia as the source of the clock setting vibrations , this clock was not much more accurate that the existing time standard and the next generation of atomic clocks was built with cesium .

You have known that after the implementation of cesium in the atomic clocks the time keeping became much more accurate than the current standard , There was such a dramatic change in the accuracy of the measurement of time that in 1967 the General Conference on Weights and Measures defined the SI second as 9,192,631,770 oscillations of the cesium atom at its resonant frequency .

The atomic clock

Do you know that one of the most recent advancements in the atomic clocks today is the addition of a laser cooling system ,This system improves the signal-to-noise ratio and also decreases the uncertainty in the clock signal ?

You should know that although the most common and widely used atomic clocks utilize the properties of cesium , there are other types of atomic clocks , The difference between these clocks is the element used and also the means of detecting when the energy level changes , Other materials used in these clocks are hydrogen and rubidium .

You must know that Hydrogen atomic clocks require a container with walls of a special material so that the atoms do not lose the high-energy state too rapidly , Rubidium clocks are the simplest and most compact of all atomic clocks and use a glass cell of rubidium gas that changes its light absorption when exposed to the proper microwave frequency .

The atomic clock

You should understand that any GPS receiver can connect with these satellites and compare the times broadcasted by each , The difference in these times allows for the user to pinpoint his location , If these clocks were not highly accurate the GPS system would be impractical and unreliable .

We should understand that the atomic clocks have many uses and one of the more familiar ones is the Global Positioning System ,This is an example of a receiver that utilizes such a system , Atomic clocks are amazing tools for the advancing technology of today, but their usefulness can only extend as far as the limits of nature will allow .
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