Lutetium optical clock sets record accuracy, losing under one second in 260 billion years

September 24, 2026 at 05:00 AM1 min

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Physicists have unveiled the world's most accurate clock, an optical atomic clock based on lutetium that would take more than 260 billion years to lose a second. The device derives time from the visible-range frequency of light at which lutetium absorbs radiation. The researchers aim to miniaturize the clock and take it out of the lab.

Key Facts

The lutetium optical atomic clock would take more than 260 billion years to lose one second.
The clock uses the rare-earth metal lutetium and derives time from the visible-range frequency of light at which the element absorbs radiation.
Researchers say the clock is robust enough that they hope to miniaturize it and eventually take it out of the lab.
The work is described in a Nature paper.

The Lutetium Clock

Physicists have unveiled the world's most accurate clock, an optical atomic clock based on the rare-earth metal lutetium. The device would take more than 260 billion years to lose a second. It derives time using the visible-range frequency of light at which lutetium absorbs radiation. The researchers behind the clock say it is robust enough that they hope to be able to miniaturize it and eventually take it out of the lab.

Research Publication

The findings are published in a Nature paper. The clock was developed by physicists, though the specific institution is not named in the briefing.