Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 12, 2025

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
Published on: May 3, 2019
High-Stability Single-Ion Clock with 5.5×10^{-19} Systematic Uncertainty
Mason C Marshall1, Daniel A Rodriguez Castillo1,2, Willa J Arthur-Dworschack1,2
1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Time and Frequency Division, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
None:
We report a single-ion optical atomic clock with a fractional frequency uncertainty of 5.5×10^{-19} and fractional frequency stability of 3.5×10^{-16}/sqrt[τ/s], based on quantum logic spectroscopy of a single ^{27}Al^{+} ion. A cotrapped ^{25}Mg^{+} ion provides sympathetic cooling and quantum logic readout of the ^{27}Al^{+}^{1}S_{0}↔^{3}P_{0} clock transition. A Rabi probe duration of 1 s, enabled by laser stability transfer from a remote cryogenic silicon cavity across a 3.6 km fiber link, results in a threefold reduction in instability compared to previous ^{27}Al^{+} clocks. Systematic uncertainties are lower due to an improved ion trap electrical design, which reduces excess micromotion, and a new vacuum system, which reduces collisional shifts. We also perform a direction-sensitive measurement of the ac magnetic field due to the rf ion trap, eliminating systematic uncertainty due to field orientation.
Related Concept Videos
Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments
Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision
Propagation of Uncertainty from Systematic Error
Random and Systematic Errors
BIBO stability of continuous and discrete -time systems
To determine the BIBO stability, the convolution integral is utilized when a bounded continuous-time input is applied to a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) system....
Stability of Equilibrium Configuration
A stable equilibrium occurs when a system tends to return to its original position when given a small displacement, and the potential energy is at its minimum. An example of a stable equilibrium is when a cantilever beam is fixed at one end and a weight is attached to the other end. If the weight...

