Yoon Tae-Hyeon, To Make Most Accurate Clock On Earth

``I will develop a photon clock by utilizing the laser technology to make the most accurate clock.``

This is the ambitious dream of Dr. Yoon Tae-Hyeon of Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science. He is not bragging. His research project was recently selected as a creative research project by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Finally, he can be committed only to his research without having to worry about research funds.

``Currently the most accurate clock is cesium atomic clock, which is already being used in TV broadcasting. It could measure 1/1014 second but photon clock will be able to measure 100 times more accurately, which is 1/1016 second. One second of cesium equals to the time that a cesium atom vibrates 9.2 billion times, which is the natural frequency of cesium atoms. Since silver atom’s natural frequency dazzles at 450 trillion, more accurate clock could be developed. Dr. Yoon is planning to develop a special laser which radiate a specific light, which beams the silver atoms to make a photon clock.

``Photon clock is essential for the optic communications. More accurate clock than the cesium atom clock is demanded for the next generation optic communications or space ships to navigate outside the solar system. Photon clocks will make it possible. I am personally exciting as if I am approaching the realm of gods,`` Yoon said.

Dr. Yoon developed this idea while he was cooperating with the US Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA). JILA presented last year its research result which revealed that creation of photon clock was possible by utilizing Calcium atoms.

``JILA and Max Frank Institute already started their research on the development of the photon clock. We are off schedule by about a year. However, as Chang Young-Sil created the most accurate solar clock (sundial) in the world about 500 years ago, I will catch up with those institutes and create a photon clock before them,`` Yoon declared.

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