• Accepted Paper

Approaching the limit of quantum clock precision

Chad C. Nelmes, Emanuel Schwarzhans, Tony J. G. Apollaro, Timothy P. Spiller, and Irene D’Amico

Phys. Rev. Research - Accepted 3 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/zm1r-hxrw

Abstract

Precise and autonomous clocks are of fundamental interest and central importance to both foundational studies and practical applications. Here, we construct a blueprint for a quantum clock governed by time-independent interactions. By carefully-engineered coherent transport in dissipative spin chains, we achieve a scaling exponent at the precision–resolution trade-off fundamental bound, bringing this within reach of physically realistic and experimentally accessible systems. We further introduce a sudden-quench protocol that enables repeated operation through a simple initialization and detachment mechanism. Remarkably, the protocol is robust to imprecise detachment timing, implying that high-precision timekeeping can be achieved even when driven by a clock with much lower precision.

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