Reacción a "A network of optical clocks opens the door to redefining the second"

In 2030, the General Conference on Weights and Measures is expected to approve a new definition of the second based on optical frequencies, which will achieve unprecedented measurement accuracy thanks to the development of optical clocks. This new definition will enable significant improvements in satellite navigation, power grids, computing and communications, and financial transactions. It will also influence improvements in the performance of the other units of the International System and will lay the groundwork for advances in fundamental fields of physics.

The research presented in this article is essential because for the first time a large-scale comparison of optical clocks has been carried out, it has demonstrated the technical feasibility of operating an international network of high-precision optical clocks, it has allowed cross-validations between clocks, making it possible to detect and correct systematic errors, and it has made it possible to verify the measurement uncertainties involved. This comparison not only improves confidence in the accuracy of optical clocks and their interconnections, but is also a key element in the transition to a new definition of the second, based on more accurate optical standards than the current ones based on the cesium atom.