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Ultrafast optics

Femtosecond timing distribution

Nature Photonics volume 2, pages 711–712 (2008)Cite this article

High-precision synchronization of remote timing sources is an increasing problem for large-area facilities, such as radio telescope arrays and particle accelerators. Femtosecond-pulse-train transfer by optical fibre may represent a solution.

Recent years have seen the emergence of new ultrastable optical atomic clocks and frequency standards. Now, metrologists and precision engineers have begun to show how they might take advantage of these technologies to deliver time and frequency data to remote locations without loss of accuracy or precision. Single-mode optical fibres are now showing great promise as a medium for time and frequency distribution. On page 733 of this issue1, Jungwon Kim and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) contribute to this rapidly advancing field by reporting results that collectively demonstrate timing synchronization of remote time and frequency sources over periods of 10 hours or more. This is achieved by optical-fibre distribution of a master optical-pulse stream to the remote location.

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Figure 1: Femtosecond timing distribution by optical fibre.

References

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  1. Patrick Gill is at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW, UK. patrick.gill@npl.co.uk,

    Patrick Gill

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Gill, P. Femtosecond timing distribution. Nature Photon 2, 711–712 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.237

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.237

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