时间标准的研究在人类生活和科学探索中有着举足轻重的地位。文章简要介绍了时间的基本单位"秒"定义的几次重要发展与变迁,重点介绍了光钟的工作原理、关键部件、研究进展和光钟对"秒"定义未来发展的重要性。
Time standards have played a most important role in both human society and in the exploration of new science. In this article, the evolution of the definition of the "second" is briefly reviewed. Emphasis will be placed upon the working principle and key components of the optical clock, recent progress, and the future definition of the second based on the optical clock.