The best clock in the world has no hands, no pendulum, no face or digital display.

It is made of ultra-cold atoms trapped in crystals of light.  This clock is so precise that, had it begun ticking when Earth formed billions of years ago, it would not yet have gained or lost a second. This super precise atomic clock is also starting to help us unveil the mysteries of the microscopic quantum world, full of bizarre properties. How do we make these clocks?  Why are they so precise? Can we make them even better?

In this edition of LIVE@Frost Science on Wednesday, April 18, Dr. Ana Maria Rey, Professor Adjoint in the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder will answer these questions and explain why atomic clocks are a win-win business. Not only are they the building blocks for the next generation of quantum technologies, including unprecedentedly powerful computers, but they also help us improve the current generation of clocks. Join us to learn about the future of these quantum rulers of time.

Admission is complimentary. Tickets are limited to four per transaction. Program will take place inside the Frost Planetarium.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Program starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. Food and beverage will be available for purchase prior to the event.

Please note registration to the event does not include museum admission. Museum exhibitions close at 6:00 p.m.

Dr. Ana Maria Rey

Dr. Ana Maria Rey obtained her bachelor’s degree in physics in 1999 from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. She pursued her graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving a Ph.D. in 2004. She then joined the Institute of Theoretical, Molecular and Optical Physics at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics as a Postdoctoral Fellow from 2005 to 2008. 

She joined JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder faculty in 2008. She is currently a JILA and NIST fellow and a Professor Adjoint in the Department of Physics.  Rey’s research focuses on how to control and manipulate ultra-cold atoms, molecules and trapped ions for use as quantum simulators of solid state materials and for quantum information and precision measurements. Rey’s recognition to her work include,  among others a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2013),  the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists (2019),  the National Academy of Science membership (2023) and the Presidential Rank Award (2023).