科學家利用原子核打造出全球最精確的時鐘
Scientists build the world's most precise clock using an atomic nucleus
Updated at: June 12, 2026 at 11:15 AM
科學家們研發出首個核時鐘，在計時領域取得了里程碑式的重大突破。
Scientists have achieved a monumental breakthrough in the world of timekeeping by developing the first nuclear clock.
幾十年來，我們測量時間最精密的工具是原子鐘，它透過追蹤電子的震盪來運作。
For decades, our most precise tools for measuring time have been atomic clocks, which track the vibrations of electrons.
然而，由於電子容易受到外部磁場和電場的影響，因此極易受到干擾。
However, because electrons are easily influenced by external magnetic and electric fields, they are susceptible to interference.
為了解決這個問題，研究人員將目光轉向了原子核內部。
To solve this, researchers have turned their focus inward to the atomic nucleus.
科學家們利用釷-229同位素，創造出一種依賴核躍遷而非電子躍遷的時鐘。
By utilizing the Thorium-229 isotope, scientists have created a clock that relies on nuclear transitions rather than electronic ones.
原子核結構更為緊湊且強韌，其穩定性可能比現有技術高出數個數量級。
The nucleus is far more compact and resilient, offering a level of stability that could surpass current technology by orders of magnitude.
這項成功的關鍵在於找到合適的能量「開關」，即一種足以被真空紫外光雷射激發的低能量躍遷。
The key to this success was finding the right energy "switch"—a transition low enough to be triggered by vacuum-ultraviolet lasers.
除了精確計時，這些時鐘還可能徹底改變導航、深空通訊，甚至是我們對暗物質的搜尋。
Beyond simply telling time, these clocks could revolutionize navigation, deep-space communication, and even our search for dark matter.
透過從電子雲跨越到原子核心，我們進入了一個精確度的新紀元，這有望重新定義我們對宇宙的理解。
By moving from the electron cloud to the heart of the atom, we have entered a new era of precision that promises to redefine our understanding of the universe.
