Breakthrough in Nuclear Clocks: Thin Films Cut Radioactivity and Costs

Researchers develop thorium tetrafluoride thin films, making nuclear clocks safer, cheaper, and potentially portable for practical use.

Scientists have created thin films of thorium tetrafluoride, reducing the radioactivity of nuclear clocks by 1,000 times and significantly lowering production costs.
The innovation uses physical vapor deposition to create 100-nanometer-thick films, requiring only micrograms of the rare isotope thorium-229.
Nuclear clocks, which rely on atomic nucleus transitions, offer greater precision than optical atomic clocks and are less influenced by external forces.
This advancement could pave the way for portable nuclear clocks, enabling applications in telecommunications, navigation, and other precision-dependent fields.
Challenges remain in achieving consistent energy transitions in thin films, but researchers are optimistic about the technology's potential for scalability and new physics insights.