Japan-developed optical lattice clocks lead bid to redefine the second

Optical lattice clocks developed by a Japanese scientist have emerged as a leading candidate in discussions by an international body to redefine the second.The General Conference on Weights and Measures to be held in France next month will identify remaining issues, with a new definition and implementation schedule to be proposed as early as 2030.Optical lattice clocks trap thousands of atoms individually in an "egg carton" grid formed by intersecting laser beams. The clocks measure the frequency of light absorbed by the atoms, cooled to nearly absolute zero, all at once.The clocks, which u…READ FULL ARTICLE