Researchers at Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and Thailand’s National Institute of Metrology (NIMT) published results in Physical Review Letters characterizing a clock transition in ytterbium-173 ions that could be used to create an optical multi-ion clock. According to Physics World, the transition could also find applications in quantum computing and provide insights into nuclear physics.
The PTB-NIMT collaboration demonstrated that the deformed shape of the ytterbium-173 nucleus enables excitation of a clock transition with a relatively low-power laser. The team, led by Tanja Mehlstaeubler, showed that multiple ions could be controlled simultaneously, paving the way for a multi-ion optical clock combining single-ion accuracy with multi-ion stability.
NIMT’s participation in the research reflects the Thai institute’s ongoing work on optical atomic clocks under the national quantum technology program. NIMT has been developing Ytterbium-based clock technology for over six years as part of the PMU-B-funded Integrated Ecosystem for Quantum Technology Research.