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Earth-based clocks test general relativity

Nature Photonics volume 14, pages 408–409 (2020)Cite this article

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Optical clocks held at slightly different heights provide a stringent test of general relativity comparable to space experiments and open new opportunities for clock-based geophysical sensing.

Ever since Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity in a series of landmark papers in November 1915, it has fascinated generations of scientists and the scientifically interested public. The theory elevates the concept of gravity to beyond that of just a force and explains it as a consequence of the curvature of spacetime that is deformed by mass. Over the years, many experiments to test the validity of general relativity have taken place. For example, observations of gravitational lensing of light rays passing galaxies, or stars, have provided astronomical confirmations of the curved nature of spacetime1. Similarly, general relativity has been tested by the correct prediction of the perihelion precession of Mercury2 and the existence of gravitational waves, both Nobel Prize-winning achievements. All these successes have led to the belief that general relativity is the best theory of gravity we currently have.

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Fig. 1: Illustration of how in the future relativistic geodesy might be done with clocks.

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  1. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

    Kai Bongs & Yeshpal Singh

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  1. Kai Bongs
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  2. Yeshpal Singh
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Correspondence to Kai Bongs.

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Bongs, K., Singh, Y. Earth-based clocks test general relativity. Nat. Photonics 14, 408–409 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-020-0654-5

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