The first independent nuclear clock is running in Vienna

Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology in Austria have developed the world's first independent nuclear clock prototype, marking a significant milestone in timekeeping technology. Published in the journal Nature, the device utilizes thorium-229 isotopes to achieve unprecedented levels of precision that are expected to surpass traditional atomic clocks.

Simultaneously, independent research teams led by Austrian and Chinese scientists have presented functional nuclear clock prototypes based on the same thorium-229 technology. These instruments measure time by observing nuclear transitions rather than atomic electron transitions, culminating decades of global research efforts to revolutionize high-precision measurement.