A five-day GPS blackout would cost the UK £5.2 billion, and this project builds atomic clocks to keep critical systems running when satellite signals fail. Many parts of UK infrastructure—from 5G networks to power grids and military systems—rely on GPS for precise timing. But GPS signals are weak and easily jammed or spoofed. Current backup clocks are either too large, too expensive, or not accurate enough, and all are made outside the UK under export controls. This project develops compact rubidium atomic clocks, designed and manufactured in Britain, that can maintain accurate time for extended periods without a GPS signal. They use new atom-interrogation methods developed at HCD Research and the National Physical Laboratory. If successful, these clocks will protect the UK’s critical national infrastructure against prolonged GPS outages. They will also support emerging applications like 5G, where precise timing is essential but current clocks fall short. The project strengthens supply chain security, reduces reliance on foreign technology, and keeps the intellectual property and economic benefits in the UK.
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The project will develop novel UK designed and manufactured compact Rb-oscillators to serve as holdover clocks in GNSS-independent applications requiring precision timing. The state-of-the-art compact atomic clocks arising from this project shall take advantage of recent advances in Quantum Technologies to find widespread application in new and revamped UK critical national infrastructure applications requiring precision timing. At present, many of these applications rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for a stable clock signal, but these signals are easily disrupted and prolonged GNSS unavailability can lead to vast disruption to critical UK services and economy (the estimated cost of a five-day outage is £5.2Bn). New options for a UK satellite navigation and timing capability programme are presently being explored to support the nation's critical infrastructure, and these are anticipated to require a vast number of holdover clocks for added resilience. For many existing and emerging applications, including 5G, the current atomic clocks on the market, which are all non-UK based and under export control, are either too bulky and expensive, or the holdover performance is not good enough, leading to solutions involving GNSS signals. Many of these clocks are also based on technologies that are decades old. The clocks produced in this project will bring a new generation of atomic clocks using new enhanced atom-interrogation methods developed at HCD Research and the National Physical Laboratory to provide extended holdover capabilities. These clocks will also address timing challenges in many civil and military applications, providing more assurance in supply to the UK, better security through better use of technology, and safeguarding and exploiting UK-developed intellectual property to provide economic gains for the UK.
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