DARPA developing next generation of Ultra-stable and Super-precise portable Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC)

The ACES program aims to develop portable, battery‐powered atomic clocks with stability, repeatability, and environmental sensitivity approaching that of laboratory‐grade cesium beam frequency standards. “The history of human knowledge is reflected in our clock technology,” says Robert Lutwak, program manager for the agency’s Atomic Clocks with Enhanced Stability (ACES) project. “Over thousands of years, you can track human engineering by looking at the quality of our clocks. It’s always been at the cutting edge of technology. And really, the most accurate instruments on the planet right now are clocks.”