01ScienceAsia-Pacific
Singapore team builds the world's most accurate atomic clock using lutetium
A lutetium-ion optical clock at NUS reports the lowest systematic uncertainty ever recorded, published in Nature.
A team led by Murray Barrett at NUS's Center for Quantum Technologies published results in Nature on 23 September 2026 describing a lutetium-ion clock with systematic uncertainty of about 1×10⁻¹⁹, surpassing a 2025 NIST record of 5.5×10⁻¹⁹.
What holds up
- ✓Published in a peer-reviewed Nature paper.
- ✓The reported uncertainty improves on the previous NIST record.
What doesn't yet
- ?Describing NUS as uniquely capable reflects current research concentration, not a verified monopoly.
- ?Future uses, such as redefining the second, are speculative.
Ask before you share
- →Can other labs replicate the technique soon?
- →Which practical applications benefit first?
- →How does it feed into redefining the SI second?
Sources & original reporting
- [1]Tech Times · Published 24 Sept 2026 · techtimes.com