New Quantum clock ticks accurately without wasting much energy

Researchers have developed a novel quantum clock design that significantly reduces energy waste while maintaining high precision in timekeeping. Traditional quantum clocks measure time by counting discrete, irreversible events, each generating entropy and requiring energy, leading to a direct trade-off between precision and energy consumption. The new approach abandons this model by allowing quantum excitations to evolve coherently and uninterrupted across a system, tracking the overall flow of time rather than individual ticks. This method, based on coherent quantum transport, avoids repeated measurements that produce entropy, thereby breaking the previously assumed linear relationship between precision and entropy production. The innovative clock operates on principles drawn from quantum many-body systems, where particles exhibit coordinated, wave-like behavior, enabling precise control with minimal thermodynamic cost. By trading off precision with resolution—similar to waiting for a larger quantity of sand to fall in an hourglass rather than counting individual grains—the clock achieves greater accuracy without proportionally increasing entropy. Theoretical models validate this concept, and experimental efforts, such as those underway at Ch