A Single-Ion Nuclear Clock for Metrology at the 19th Decimal Place

TL;DR

This paper proposes a nuclear clock based on a single 229Th3+ ion's transition, achieving extremely high accuracy and systematic shift suppression for metrology at the 19th decimal place.

Contribution

It introduces a novel virtual clock transition within the 5F5/2 electronic ground level that significantly reduces systematic errors in nuclear clock design.

Findings

Achieves fractional inaccuracy near 1 x 10^-19

Proposes a virtual clock transition with suppressed systematic shifts

Demonstrates potential for ultra-precise metrology

Abstract

The 7.6(5) eV nuclear magnetic-dipole transition in a single 229Th3+ ion may provide the foundation for an optical clock of superb accuracy. A virtual clock transition composed of stretched states within the 5F5/2 electronic ground level of both nuclear ground and isomeric manifolds is proposed. It is shown to offer unprecedented systematic shift suppression, allowing for clock performance with a total fractional inaccuracy approaching 1 x 10^-19.