In August 2026, American company IonQ, a leader in the field of quantum computing, received a significant boost for its precision chronometry division. The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) signed an additional contract worth $28 million. The goal of the agreement is to scale the production of compact optical atomic clocks, model Evergreen-05. Under this contract, IonQ is committed to manufacturing and delivering 125 units of high-precision equipment to U.S. government clients.
Technological Breakthrough: From Lab Racks to Shoeboxes
The main innovation driving this contract is the radical reduction in the size of optical atomic clocks without compromising their accuracy. Traditional laboratory models of such devices require entire equipment racks and complex infrastructure to operate. In contrast, the Evergreen-05 clocks fit into a housing of only about five liters — roughly the size of a shoebox. This makes them suitable for installation on mobile platforms, including ground vehicles, ships, and airborne carriers, which was previously technically impossible for instruments of this class.
Strategic Autonomy: Independence from GPS
The project is being implemented as part of the DARPA program "It's About Time," the strategic goal of which is to create autonomous ultra-precise synchronization systems independent of satellite navigation. In the context of modern geopolitical tensions, where GPS signals may be unavailable or intentionally jammed by an adversary, such clocks become a critical asset. They are designed to support the operation of radars, secure communication systems, high-precision navigation, and geolocation, ensuring the stability of armed forces even during electronic warfare.
Incredible Accuracy: One Second in 30 Million Years
Despite their miniature size, the Evergreen-05 system demonstrates impressive synchronization stability metrics — at the level of 50 femtoseconds per second. The device can maintain nanosecond-level accuracy for ten days without an external time source. IonQ engineers state that this accuracy is equivalent to accumulating an error of less than one second over approximately 30 million years. This makes the clocks an ideal tool for tasks requiring extreme data synchronization and real-time positioning.
Scaling Production and Investment
To fulfill the new order, IonQ plans to invest an additional $15 million of its own funds. These funds will be directed towards building specialized production facilities, purchasing necessary equipment, creating testing infrastructure, and hiring new staff. The company expects to transition from limited prototype releases to full-scale serial production of such systems. The Evergreen-05 technology was acquired by IonQ following the purchase of startup Vector Atomic in 2025, allowing the quantum technology giant to combine resources with advanced developments in atomic chronometry.
