Comparing ultrastable lasers at 7 × 10−17 fractional frequency instability through a 2220 km optical fibre network
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Ultrastable lasers are essential tools in optical frequency metrology enabling unprecedented measurement precision that impacts on fields such as atomic timekeeping, tests of fundamental physics, and geodesy. To characterise an ultrastable laser it needs to be compared with a laser of similar performance, but a suitable system may not be available locally. Here, we report a comparison of two geographically separated lasers, over the longest ever reported metrological optical fibre link network, measuring 2220 km in length, at a state-of-the-art fractional-frequency instability of 7 × 10 −17 for averaging times between 30 s and 200 s. The measurements also allow the short-term instability of the complete optical fibre link network to be directly observed without using a loop-back fibre. Based on the characterisation of the noise in the lasers and optical fibre link network over different timescales, we investigate the potential for disseminating ultrastable light to improve the performance of remote optical clocks.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: M. Schioppo, J. Kronjäger, A. Silva, R. Ilieva, J. W. Paterson, C. F. A. Baynham, W. Bowden, I. R. Hill, R. Hobson, A. Vianello, M. Dovale-Álvarez, R. A. Williams, G. Marra, H. S. Margolis, A. Amy-Klein, O. Lopez, E. Cantin, H. Álvarez-Martínez, R. Le Targat, P. E. Pottie, N. Quintin, T. Legero, S. Häfner, U. Sterr, R. Schwarz, S. Dörscher, C. Lisdat, S. Koke, A. Kuhl, T. Waterholter, E. Benkler, G. Grosche
Institutions: National Physical Laboratory, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire de physique des lasers, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Systèmes de Référence Temps-Espace, Laboratoire Temps Espace, Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy, Renater, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,890
Awards: G1102419491, G1320612133, G1373377859, G1487468959, Network of Facilities for Innovation, Research, Services and Training in Time & Frequency, G238019027, G2418476045, G2520453636, Paris Sciences et Lettres, SFB 1464: Relativistische und quantenbasierte Geodäsie (TerraQ), G2880660377, G3141998512, G3282441034, G3434313504, G3687747309, G40493870, G4307099416, G434337789, G4703368527, G471331628, EXC 2123: QuantumFrontiers Licht und Materie an der Quantengrenze, RESEAU FIBRE METROLOGIQUE A VOCATION EUROPEENNE +, G5546255241, G5617769834, G5869524282, G6023130887, SFB 1227: Designte Quantenzustände der Materie (DQmat) Herstellung, Manipulation und Detektion für metrologische Anwendungen und Tests fundamentaler Physik, EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Controlled Quantum Dynamics, G7240651115, G7376787254, G745383156, G8205597137
OpenAlex ID: W4206606030