Time transfer through optical fibres over a distance of 73 km with an uncertainty below 100 ps

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • M. Rost
  • D. Piester
  • W. Yang
  • T. Feldmann
  • T. Wübbena
  • A. Bauch

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB
  • National University of Defense Technology
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)772-778
Number of pages7
JournalMETROLOGIA
Volume49
Issue number6
Early online date30 Oct 2012
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2012

Abstract

We demonstrate the capability of accurate time transfer using optical fibres over long distances utilizing a dark fibre and hardware which is usually employed in two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT). Our time transfer through optical fibre (TTTOF) system is a variant of the standard TWSTFT by employing an optical fibre in the transmission path instead of free-space transmission of signals between two ground stations through geostationary satellites. As we use a dark fibre there are practically no limitations to the bandwidth of the transmitted signals so that we can use the highest chip rate of the binary phase-shift modulation available from the commercial equipment. This leads to an enhanced precision compared with satellite time transfer where the occupied bandwidth is limited for cost reasons. The TTTOF system has been characterized and calibrated in a common-clock experiment at PTB, and the combined calibration uncertainty is estimated as 74 ps. In a second step the remote part of the system was operated at Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Quantenoptik (IQ) separated by 73 km from PTB in Braunschweig. In parallel, a GPS time transfer link between Braunschweig and Hannover was established, and both links connected a passive hydrogen maser at IQ with the reference time scale UTC(PTB) maintained in PTB. The results obtained with both links agree within the 1- uncertainty of the GPS link results, which is estimated as 0.72 ns. The fibre link exhibits a nearly ten-fold improved stability compared with the GPS link, and assessment of its performance has been limited by the properties of the passive maser.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Time transfer through optical fibres over a distance of 73 km with an uncertainty below 100 ps. / Rost, M.; Piester, D.; Yang, W. et al.
In: METROLOGIA, Vol. 49, No. 6, 12.2012, p. 772-778.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Rost M, Piester D, Yang W, Feldmann T, Wübbena T, Bauch A. Time transfer through optical fibres over a distance of 73 km with an uncertainty below 100 ps. METROLOGIA. 2012 Dec;49(6):772-778. Epub 2012 Oct 30. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.1209.4467, 10.1088/0026-1394/49/6/772
Rost, M. ; Piester, D. ; Yang, W. et al. / Time transfer through optical fibres over a distance of 73 km with an uncertainty below 100 ps. In: METROLOGIA. 2012 ; Vol. 49, No. 6. pp. 772-778.
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abstract = "We demonstrate the capability of accurate time transfer using optical fibres over long distances utilizing a dark fibre and hardware which is usually employed in two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT). Our time transfer through optical fibre (TTTOF) system is a variant of the standard TWSTFT by employing an optical fibre in the transmission path instead of free-space transmission of signals between two ground stations through geostationary satellites. As we use a dark fibre there are practically no limitations to the bandwidth of the transmitted signals so that we can use the highest chip rate of the binary phase-shift modulation available from the commercial equipment. This leads to an enhanced precision compared with satellite time transfer where the occupied bandwidth is limited for cost reasons. The TTTOF system has been characterized and calibrated in a common-clock experiment at PTB, and the combined calibration uncertainty is estimated as 74 ps. In a second step the remote part of the system was operated at Leibniz Universit{\"a}t Hannover, Institut f{\"u}r Quantenoptik (IQ) separated by 73 km from PTB in Braunschweig. In parallel, a GPS time transfer link between Braunschweig and Hannover was established, and both links connected a passive hydrogen maser at IQ with the reference time scale UTC(PTB) maintained in PTB. The results obtained with both links agree within the 1- uncertainty of the GPS link results, which is estimated as 0.72 ns. The fibre link exhibits a nearly ten-fold improved stability compared with the GPS link, and assessment of its performance has been limited by the properties of the passive maser.",
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