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Chinese Scientists Create UV Crystal for Advanced Nuclear Clocks

4/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Scientists from Xinjiang University in China developed a crystal that emits ultraviolet light at 145.2 nanometers.
The crystal enables advances toward thorium-229 nuclear clocks, which could greatly improve navigation for submarines and deep-space probes.
These clocks would operate without GPS, which is vulnerable to jamming and ineffective underwater, offering more stable timekeeping.

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Story summary

Scientists from Xinjiang University in China developed a crystal that emits ultraviolet light at 145.2 nanometers.
The crystal enables advances toward thorium-229 nuclear clocks, which could greatly improve navigation for submarines and deep-space probes.
These clocks would operate without GPS, which is vulnerable to jamming and ineffective underwater, offering more stable timekeeping.