China’s thorium-229 nuclear clock beats Vienna’s on stability, studies show

Chinese and European teams in 'fierce but friendly' competition to develop the next-generation timepieces

The Star MalaysiaSouth China Morning Post2026-10-09 09:21查看原文 ↗

Initial results from the world’s first two working nuclear clocks indicate that China’s timepiece is about six times as stable as the one in Vienna, according to papers published this week by the journal Nature.

The clocks were developed independently but both the Chinese team, led by Tsinghua University in Beijing, and the researchers at Vienna’s TU Wien used thorium-229 nuclei embedded in crystals to keep time by the steady rhythm of the atom’s core, rather than the electrons whirling around it, as in atomic clocks.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access

Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.

RM 13.90/month RM 11.12 /month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

RM 12.33/month RM 9.87 /month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Thank you for your report!

Trump says China is driving anger at US data centres. These residents disagree, reports SCMP

SMG, SCMP ink MOU aimed at strengthening business ties between M'sia, Hong Kong

SMG and SCMP ink landmark deal