Clock with 8×10^{-19} Systematic Uncertainty.

Area of Science:

• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Metrology
• Optical Clocks

Background:

• Optical lattice clocks are crucial for high-precision timekeeping.
• Previous work established record atomic coherence times using fermionic strontium.
• Controlling systematic effects is key to improving clock accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel optical lattice clock with the lowest uncertainty to date.
• To refine systematic uncertainty budgets for optical atomic clocks.
• To advance the precision of frequency standards.

Main Methods:

• Interrogation of the ^{1}S_{0}→^{3}P_{0} transition in fermionic strontium atoms.
• Utilizing a vertically-oriented, shallow, one-dimensional optical lattice.
• Employing imaging spectroscopy for precise atomic control and characterization.

Main Results:

• Achieved a total systematic uncertainty of 8.1×10⁻¹⁹ fractional frequency units.
• Revised black body radiation shift correction by evaluating the 5s4d ^{3}D_{1} lifetime.
• Measured the second-order Zeeman coefficient on a low-sensitivity clock transition.
• All other systematic effects were below 1×10⁻¹⁹ uncertainty.

Conclusions:

• The developed optical lattice clock represents a significant leap in precision timekeeping.
• Precise characterization of many-body effects and decay processes is vital for accurate clock operation.
• This work sets a new benchmark for atomic clock performance and future research.