#Aims to optical atomic clocks portable portable

With this growth, has also increased the demand for precise network timing systems. Additionally, over the past few years position based social media services and entertainment systems have witnessed a phenomenal growth. With increasing penetration of the internet connectivity, it has become imperative to ensure accurate network timing synchronization to ensure seamless connectivity to billions of users hooked up to the Web. Precise atomic clocks are key to not only establishing superior GPS and navigation systems but a whole host of scientific endeavours such as VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) - important for timing synchronization of radio telescopes that help image galactic events and phenomena, enables spacecraft navigation (space geodesy) and aids allied industry such as development of precise timing devices for mobile and internet communication and also for time stamping financial transactions in banking and stock-exchange systems. Recently, VLBI technology was used to take the first ever of a Black Hole by time synchronizing multiple radio telescopes spread over the globe using precision atomic clocks.

#Aims to optical atomic clocks portable portable

And finally, precision guided munition systems and secure communication form the core of modern warfare technology, which are very much reliant on precision timing sensors, especially on portable atomic clocks. UAVs and drones are being extensively employed for reconnaissance, security and defence missions. Drone based farming technologies are on the increase. With increasing use of on-board GPS systems in drones, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and associated air-borne and land-based systems, there has been a landmark change in industrial and agricultural output. GPS systems ensure seamless coordination of satellite-based communication systems along with the civilian air and land-based navigation and also mobile and internet networks. GPS is used on a routine basis to obtain accurate coordinates of important geographical locations and geo-features, geodesy, emergency mapping and establishing connectivity in the neighbourhood for civilian and strategic applications. GPS technologies are directly reliant on the accuracy and stability of atomic clocks. These on-board atomic clocks are synchronized in a manner such that the time difference of different satellites positioned at different orbits are used to measure the accurate location of a navigation receiver or an object on the Earth using a technique called trilateration. Atomic clocks in a satellite constellation form the heart of the GPS system. The signal transmission and position quality obtained by a GPS system directly depends on the timing reference and relative difference in signal times determined by the on-board atomic clocks present inside the satellites. Atomic clocks come up in different sizes and applications ranging from lab based optical atomic clocks to chip scale atomic clocks (CSACs) that make use of miniaturized components to establish a precision time reference.Ītomic clocks on-board GPS (global positioning systems) satellites play a critical role in positioning, navigation, and communication networks. At the heart of the most precise time-keeping devices ever built by mankind are precision atomic clocks.

With the increasing demand for improved accuracy in positioning and navigational applications, the demand for measurement of time has also increased significantly.

Positioning and navigation has been key to the growth of human civilization since time immemorial.