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SUNSPOT: Sources for Ultraviolet Nuclear Spectroscopy of Thorium

 

Summary

The SUNSPOT program will develop vacuum ultraviolet lasers to validate and develop nuclear clocks. | Source: NASA

As evidenced by the pervasive benefits of GPS-supported technologies, precision clock networks underpin critical Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial applications such as navigation and communications. 

In contrast to the currently employed microwave-domain clock technologies, the superior performance of optical-domain clocks can provide resilience and operability in GPS-denied conditions. In addition, optical-domain clocks can also enable a wide range of next-generation commercial applications that require increased connectivity, high bandwidth, low latency and beyond-GPS timing precision.

The recent discovery of a nuclear clock transition in an isotope of thorium (229Th) could portend a paradigm shift in high precision optical-domain clocks. 

Owing to the natural isolation of the nucleus from external disturbances, clocks based on nuclear transitions can enable extraordinary levels of timing precision within a compact, portable package. 

The SUNSPOT program aims to develop a key enabling technology for the realization of a thorium-based nuclear clock — a coherent laser source in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

It is anticipated that this laser source will enable accurate spectroscopic studies of the thorium clock transition and the technological development of high-performance nuclear clocks.

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Opportunity

HR001125S0008

  • Published: Jan. 27, 2025
  • Deadline: March 13, 2025

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