Comparing ultrastable lasers at 7 × 10−17 fractional frequency instability through a 2220 km optical fibre network

authored by: 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
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.
External Organisation(s): National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Universite Paris 13
Observatoire de Paris (OBSPARIS)
Spanish Navy Observatory (ROA)
Réseau National de télécommunications pour la Technologie l’Enseignement et la Recherche (RENATER)
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB
Type: Article
Journal: Nature Communications
Volume: 13
ISSN: 2041-1723
Publication date: 11.01.2022
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: General Physics and Astronomy, General Chemistry, General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27884-3 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{5e63307511784606bb95975e73079b9d,
title = "Comparing ultrastable lasers at 7 × 10−17 fractional frequency instability through a 2220 km optical fibre network",
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.",
author = "M. Schioppo and J. Kronj{\"a}ger and A. Silva and R. Ilieva and Paterson, {J. W.} and Baynham, {C. F.A.} and W. Bowden and Hill, {I. R.} and R. Hobson and A. Vianello and M. Dovale-{\'A}lvarez and Williams, {R. A.} and G. Marra and Margolis, {H. S.} and A. Amy-Klein and O. Lopez and E. Cantin and H. {\'A}lvarez-Mart{\'i}nez and {Le Targat}, R. and Pottie, {P. E.} and N. Quintin and T. Legero and S. H{\"a}fner and U. Sterr and R. Schwarz and S. D{\"o}rscher and C. Lisdat and S. Koke and A. Kuhl and T. Waterholter and E. Benkler and G. Grosche",
note = "Funding information: We thank Rachel M. Godun, E. Anne Curtis and Geoffrey Barwood for careful reading of the manuscript. NPL This work was financially supported by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as part of the National Measurement System Programme; the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) projects 15SIB03 OC18, 15SIB05 OFTEN, 18SIB05 ROCIT, 18SIB06 TiFOON. These projects have received funding from the EMPIR programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. A.V. acknowledges funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC UK) through the Controlled Quantum Dynamics Centre for Doctoral Training (EP/L016524/1) for the core duration of this work. LPL, LNE-SYRTE, RENATER This work has received support under the program “Investissements d{\textquoteright}Avenir” launched by the French Government and implemented by ANR with the references ANR-10-LABX-48-01 (Labex First-TF), ANR-11-EQPX-0039 (Equipex REFIMEVE+) and ANR-10-IDEX-0001-002 PSL (PSL). This work was also financially supported by Conseil R{\'e}gional Ile de-France (DIM IFRAF-NanoK and DIM SIRTEQ) and the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) in project 15SIB05 OFTEN, 18SIB05 ROCIT. These projects have received funding from the EMPIR programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. We acknowledge unfailing and continuing support of the network and engineering team of RENATER. PTB This work was financially supported by the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) projects 15SIB03 OC18, 15SIB05 OFTEN, 18SIB05 ROCIT, 18SIB06 TiFOON. These projects have received funding from the EMPIR programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. PTB acknowledges funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy EXC-2123 Quantum Frontiers (Project-ID 390837967) and CRC 1227 DQ-mat (Project-ID 274200144) and CRC 1464 Terra-Q (Project-ID 434617780).",
year = "2022",
month = jan,
day = "11",
doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-27884-3",
language = "English",
volume = "13",
journal = "Nature Communications",
issn = "2041-1723",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "1",
}