Welcome to iqClock!iqClock, short for “integrated quantum clock”, is a European consortium of six universities and six industry partners. Together, these institutes develop the physics and technology needed to make new and better quantum clocks.
The goal of iqClock is to bring the best clocks in the world to society. These "optical atomic clocks" are amazingly accurate. If such a clock would have been turned on during the Big Bang, almost fourteen billion years ago, the clock would still be ahead or behind less than a single second today!
iqClock tackles two major challenges to reach its goal. The first is to make existing optical clocks smaller and more robust. Currently, these clocks do not look like the clocks in your home – they are complicated machines that fill entire laboratories. iqClock wants to make these clocks transportable, so that they can be used for measurements in the field and eventually even sent to space using satellites. This could for example make GPS systems much more accurate. The second challenge we tackle is the complexity of the clock itself. We are developing optical clocks that operate after a new principle, a bit like a laser, and that have the potential to become simpler and more robust than the current clock generation. iqClock is one of 20 quantum technology related projects that together form the European Commission's Quantum Flagship initiative. On this website, you will find our latest news, an overview of the project's tasks, a more detailed description of the twelve partner institutes that make the project possible, lists of publications and open positions. as well as an overview of media appearances and materials. If you want to know more about iqClock, don't hesitate to contact us! More about the iqClock-project... |
Recent news
1 December 2022: AQuRA project commencesToday a new project built on the achievements of iqClock kicked off. AQuRA (the Advanced Quantum Clock for Real World Applications) is an industry led consortium with 10 partners from across Europe who will collaborate over the next three and a half years to make state of the art laboratory clocks robust and compact enough for real world applications.
Modern atomic quantum clocks are the most precise and accurate scientific instruments ever created. Currently, these so-called optical atomic clocks are mostly found in physics laboratories, often filling an entire laboratory. The AQuRA-consortium brings together European universities, industry partners and EU metrology institutes in an effort to make quantum clocks more robust and compact. This will allow real-world applications like significantly improved and faster telecommunication networks, or underground exploration using fluctuations in gravity. The consortium received a €7.5 million European Commission Horizon grant to achieve their goals over the next three and a half years.
24 March 2022 - iqClock Industry Day - register now!
Kicked-off in October 2018, the iqClock EC Quantum Flagship project is coming to a close this Spring. On this occasion, we invite interested parties from across industry and academia to join us for the iqClock Industry Day. We will showcase the results of the project and draw up perspectives for the next steps towards the commercialisation of optical lattice clock technology including routes to end user cases for optical clock technology.
With the iqClock Industry Day, we offer a stage to stakeholders from inside and outside the iqClock Consortium. The two sessions include time for panel discussion with the session speakers. The event is free to attend will be fully virtual with details on how to access the Zoom meeting communicated a few days prior. Programme and registration 22-24 November 2021 - MoSaiQC autumn school - register now!
Between 22-24 November 2021 the MoSaiQC Autumn School takes place in-person at the University of Birmingham. The theme of the Autumn School is 'ATC Industrial Perspective on Quantum Technologies'. Early-Stage Researchers and network members are invited to take part in the school. Additionally, there are limited spots available for external PhD-students (£95,-) to join the programme. Please have a look at the (concept) programme of the MoSaiQC Autumn School above. Click here to go to the official registration form.
Subsequently, on 25 and 26 November the iqClock network meeting will take place. This meeting is only open for network members and Early-Stage Researchers of the MoSaiQC project and iqClock project. More information about the programme will be published shortly on this page. 2 September 2021 - What is time, and how is it measured?
What is time, and how is it measured? The first episode in iqClock's new edutainment series about atomic clocks and timekeeping is now out! Watch new episodes every other Thursday on our YouTube channel. 16 September: Episode 2 published, The history of timekeeping |
