ABSTRACT
We demonstrate the transfer of a cesium frequency standard steered to UTC(NIST) over 20 km of dark telecom optical fiber. Our dissemination scheme uses an active stabilization technique with a phase-locked voltage-controlled oscillator. Out-of-loop characterization of the optical fiber link performance is done with dual-fiber and single-fiber transfer schemes. We observe a fractional frequency instability of 1.5 × 10-12 and 2 × 10-15 at averaging intervals of 1 s and 105 s, respectively, for the link. Both schemes are sufficient to transfer the cesium clock reference without degrading the signal, with nearly an order of magnitude lower fractional frequency instability than the cesium clocks over all time scales. The simplicity of the two-fiber technique may be useful in future long-distance applications where higher stability requirements are not paramount, as it avoids technical complications involved with the single-fiber scheme.
ABSTRACT
Time and its measurement belong to the most fundamental core of physics, and many scientific and technological advances are directly or indirectly related to time measurements. Timekeeping is essential to everyday life, and thus is the most measured physical quantity in modern societies. Time can also be measured with less uncertainty and more resolution than any other physical quantity. The measurement of time is of the utmost importance for many applications, including: global navigation satellite systems, communications networks, electric power generation, astronomy, electronic commerce, and national defense and security. This paper discusses how time is kept, coordinated, and disseminated in the Americas.
