This research develops tabletop methods for studying rare radium-containing molecules to search for broken symmetries between matter and antimatter. Because radium’s asymmetric nuclear structure strongly amplifies subtle physical effects, these molecules provide highly sensitive probes for new physics that could help explain why matter exists in the universe after the Big Bang.

This talk explains how precise timekeeping underpins technologies like GPS and how atomic clocks achieve extreme accuracy using atomic oscillations. The research explores a new “active atomic clock” where atoms generate their own light, enabling even greater precision. Improved clocks could advance navigation, physics research, and our understanding of the universe.