JILA

Shooting for the moon! 🚀🌒

They rank among the darkest and coldest places in the solar system: thousands of lunar craters, most of them at the moon’s south pole, never receive direct sunlight and lie in permanent shadow. That’s exactly why NIST physicist Jun Ye and his colleagues suggest these craters are the perfect place to build a critical component for an ultra-stable laser.

This laser could lay the foundation for a GPS-like signal for spacecraft to navigate the moon’s surface, highly precise measurements of the distance between satellites, and the first atomic timekeeping signal on another celestial body.

🔗 https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2026/05/shooting-moon-ultrastable-lasers-dark-craters-could-enable-lunar-navigation

⏱️ New Advances in Precision Timekeeping

JILA researchers have proposed a new superradiant laser design for next‑generation “active” atomic clocks that overcomes two major challenges: atom heating and vibration sensitivity.

Led by first author Jarrod Reilly, a physics graduate student, the work shows how guiding atoms through a controlled loop of quantum states could enable compact, robust atomic (and potentially nuclear) clocks that maintain extreme accuracy under real‑world conditions.

Read more: https://jila.colorado.edu/news-events/articles/atomic-clock-stays-cool-and-can-rock-and-roll-without-losing-time

CU Boulder Physics

Congratulations to physics graduate student Anya Grafov! 👏

Anya has been selected as a global recipient of the 2026 Zonta International Women in STEM Award, recognizing outstanding early-career women in STEM worldwide.

A member of JILA’s Kapteyn–Murnane Group, Anya is one of just 16 awardees selected worldwide. Congratulations, Anya!

Read more: https://jila.colorado.edu/news-events/news/jila-graduate-student-anya-grafov-selected-global-recipient-2026-zonta

CU Boulder Physics | University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder College of Arts & Sciences | CU Boulder Graduate School

Exciting quantum news ✨

Google Quantum AI has tapped JILA Fellow and CU Boulder Physics Prof. Adam Kaufman to lead their new neutral atom quantum computing hardware team in Boulder! The initiative marks Google’s first major investment in this rapidly advancing platform.

Kaufman will continue his research at JILA while maintaining his faculty appointment in the physics department, bridging academics with industry. This collaboration further strengthens Boulder’s growing quantum ecosystem and highlights JILA’s leadership in quantum science.

Congratulations Adam! 👏

Read more: https://jila.colorado.edu/news-events/news/google-quantum-ai-engages-jila-fellow-adam-kaufman-lead-new-neutral-atom-quantum

University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder College of Arts & Sciences

New 'vacuum ultraviolet' laser may improve nanotechnology, power nuclear clocks A new kind of laser could pave the way for practical nuclear clocks—devices that measure time with incredible precision by measuring the "ticking" of thorium