A multi-ion optical clock with $\mathbf{5 \times 10^{-19}}$ uncertainty

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.23446v1
• Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:18:28 GMT
• Title: A multi-ion optical clock with $\mathbf{5 \times 10^{-19}}$ uncertainty
• Abstract summary: We report on a multi-ion optical atomic clock with a fractional frequency uncertainty of $5.3times10-19$ and up to 10 Sr ions.<n>These results demonstrate robust multi-ion clock operation with reduced averaging time and state-of-the-art accuracy.
• Score: 1.5818974051199532
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Today's most accurate clocks are based on laser spectroscopy of electronic transitions in single trapped ions and feature fractional frequency uncertainties below $1\times10^{-18}$. Scaling these systems to multiple, simultaneously interrogated ions reduces measurement times, driving recent advances in multi-ion clocks. However, maintaining state-of-the-art systematic uncertainties while increasing the number of ions remains a central challenge. Here, we report on a multi-ion optical atomic clock with a fractional frequency uncertainty of $5.3\times10^{-19}$ and up to 10 \Sr ions. Ion-resolved state detection enables minimization of position-dependent shifts, with residual effects suppressed below the $10^{-20}$-level. Clock operation with eight to ten ions reduces the measurement time by a factor of 4.8 compared to single-ion operation. A comparison with an established \Yb single-ion clock yields an unperturbed frequency ratio of $0.6926711632159660405(20)$, with a statistical uncertainty of $0.9\times10^{-18}$ and a combined uncertainty of $2.9\times 10^{-18}$. These results demonstrate robust multi-ion clock operation with reduced averaging time and state-of-the-art accuracy.

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