CORDIS · 856415 · H2020

ThoriumNuclearClock Thorium nuclear clocks for fundamental tests of physics

Coordinator: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN (AT)

Th-229 has an exceptionally low-energy excited nuclear isomer state with an excitation energy of only a few electron volts, making it accessible to laser manipulation. With a predicted relative radiative linewidth of 1e-19, constructing a Thorium nuclear clock becomes possible that could rival todays most advanced optical atomic clocks.The few-eV transition emerges from a fortunate near-degeneracy of the two lowest nuclear energy levels. However, the Coulomb and strong-force contributions to these level energies differ on the MeV level. This makes the Th-229 nuclear level structure uniquely s…

EU contribution
€13.8M
Total cost
€13.8M
Period
2020-02-01 → 2026-10-31
Framework
Horizon 2020 (2014–2020)
Funding scheme
ERC-SyG
Call
ERC-2019-SyG
Status
SIGNED

About Horizon 2020 (2014–2020)

Horizon 2020 was the EU's flagship research and innovation programme for 2014–2020, with a budget of around €77 billion. It bundled FP7's strands with the EIT and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, introduced a stronger societal-challenge orientation, and pushed the funding logic toward closer-to-market innovation. New calls closed in 2020 but funded projects continued through 2024.

EU contribution: €13.8M awarded to the consortium. The project runs over approximately 6.7 years from 2020-02-01 to 2026-10-31.

Full record on CORDIS — partners, deliverables, publications, news.

Open on cordis.europa.eu → Grant DOI ↗

Frequently asked questions

Who funds this research project?
This project is funded by the European Union through the Horizon 2020 (2014–2020) programme, under the ERC-SyG funding scheme.
What is the EU contribution?
The European Commission contributes €13.8M toward a total project budget of €13.8M.
Which EU programme funds it?
The project is funded under Horizon 2020 (2014–2020), call ERC-2019-SyG.
Who coordinates the project?
The project is coordinated by TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN (AT).
What is the project timeline?
The project runs from 2020-02-01 to 2026-10-31 — approximately 6.7 years.
Where can I find the full project record?
The complete record — partners, deliverables, publications and news — is published on CORDIS under project ID 856415.