The SWaP plot: Visualising the performance of portable atomic clocks as a function of their size, weight and power

TL;DR

This paper introduces the SWaP plot, a visual tool for comparing the performance of portable atomic clocks based on their size, weight, and power, highlighting advancements from microwave to optical clocks.

Contribution

It presents a web-based interactive plot that tracks optical atomic clocks' performance against SWaP metrics, facilitating comparison and tracking of technological progress.

Findings

Optical atomic clocks outperform microwave clocks in precision.

The SWaP plot enables easy comparison of clock performance relative to size, weight, and power.

The resource is continuously updated with new data on atomic clock performance.

Abstract

Precision timekeeping is fundamental to modern technologies such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), communication networks, financial transactions, and power grid management. Over the past 50 years, microwave atomic clocks have been the standard for timing precision. The new generation of optical atomic clocks have demonstrated orders of magnitude better performance, and are now transitioning from research to practical applications. We provide a web resource that tracks the performance of these optical atomic clocks, measured in terms of their Allan deviation at various integration times, against their SWaP requirements via an interactive plot. The most current data and additional resources are available online, providing a continuously updated reference for those interested in precision timing.