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Katori-Ushijima Lab
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The lab measures time with extreme precision using optical lattice clocks to explore the physics of spacetime.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the physics of spacetime with optical lattice clocks
The Katori-Ushijima Lab explores the physics and engineering of spacetime using the "optical lattice clock," which was proposed in this lab.
The optical lattice clock is an extremely precise atomic clock that is drawing attention as a leading candidate for the future redefinition of the second.
By combining techniques for manipulating ultracold atoms and controlling lasers, the lab further improves the clock's precision and uses that precision to explore uncharted physics and applied technologies.
The lab has bases at both the University of Tokyo and RIKEN, where members conceive and build experimental apparatus that exists nowhere else in the world.
Key terms
- Optical lattice clock
- A clock that confines atoms in a lattice, resembling an egg carton, made of laser light, and keeps time using the oscillations of light that the atoms absorb
- Laser cooling
- A method of slowing the motion of atoms by shining laser light on them, cooling them to near absolute zero
- Atom chip
- A small device for controlling the motion of cooled atoms on a solid-state substrate
NewsLab news
The lab announced results on an optical lattice clock that keeps measuring time without interruption by flowing atoms
A master's student won the Student Presentation Award of the Physical Society of Japan
A doctoral student received the Dean's Award of the Graduate School of Engineering
RIKEN announced research results on a nuclear clock from a joint research group
Doctoral and master's students won the Student Presentation Award of the Physical Society of Japan
ResearchResearch themes
The lab makes full use of the optical lattice clock, which was proposed in this lab and first demonstrated in the world, to explore the physics and engineering of spacetime. While further improving the clock's precision, the lab uses that precision to investigate the constancy of physical constants and spacetime curved by gravity.
*Illustrative imageOptical Lattice Clocks
The lab works on improving the precision of optical lattice clocks and on research that uses them. This includes relativistic geodesy, which measures height differences by comparing distant clocks, the development of transportable clocks, and tests of physical constants by comparing clocks based on different atoms.
*Illustrative imageLaser Cooling and Trapping of Atoms
By carefully engineering the exchange of momentum between atoms and laser light, the lab cools atoms to extremely low temperatures and traps them. Ensembles of cooled atoms become targets for precision spectroscopy, and the lab uses strontium atoms in its experiments.
*Illustrative imageAtom Chips
The lab controls the motion of laser-cooled atoms on a solid-state substrate, aiming at quantum information processing with atoms. Because the approach uses the effects of electric fields rather than magnetic fields, it avoids heat generation from electric currents and can lead to low-power devices.
MembersFaculty
The Katori-Ushijima Lab consists of faculty members, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, researchers, academic specialists, research secretaries, staff of the RIKEN research team, and visiting researchers from companies.As of 2026
- ProfessorHidetoshi KatoriPublications ↗
- LecturerIchiro Ushijima
- Assistant ProfessorKai Suekane
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Sr-lattice-optical-atomi-clock opt” The Ye group and Brad Baxley, JILA / Public domain (cropped)
- Optical Lattice Clocks: “AtomsInLattice” Jpagett / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Laser Cooling and Trapping of Atoms: “Laser used to cool atoms with light” Noahlw / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Atom Chips: “Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Endo Lab): “Infrared (1064 nm) Laser Beams and Pre-Mode Cleaner” Tobin from Rochester, NY, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Furusawa Lab): “Femtosecond Laser and Pulse Compressor - Optics Lab - INRIM” Giorgio Brida from Torino, Italy / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Takeda Lab): “Laser Beam Splitter” melissa.meister from Atlanta, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Ideguchi Lab): “TiSa laser” Mathieu Perrin / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
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