Fouad G. Major Boeken

Focusing on atomic clocks, this book offers an accessible exploration of key topics for readers with a basic understanding of physics or engineering. It delves into the design principles of various atomic standards, including rubidium and cesium, and highlights the transformative impact of lasers on timekeeping technologies. Readers will learn about global navigation systems like GPS, as well as concepts related to precision and accuracy in time measurement, such as noise and the relativistic Doppler effect, enhancing their understanding of synchronization and time itself.

This work reviews the principles underlying quantum-based atomic clocks, with introductory chapters placing them in context with the development of mechanical clocks and electronic quartz-controlled clocks. The book details design principles of the rubidium, cesium, hydrogen maser, and mercury ion standards; changes enabled by the advent of the laser; and the time-based global navigation systems, Loran-C and the Global Positioning System. The new edition includes such recent developments as clocks based on quantum resonance at optical frequency in individual ions confined in miniature electromagnetic traps. The Quantum Beat explores the subject with a minimum of mathematical formalism.