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arXiv:0908.4238 · Optics Express

Long-distance remote comparison of ultrastable optical frequencies with 10^-15 instability in fractions of a second

A. Pape, Osama Terra, J. Friebe, Matthias Riedmann, Temmo Wübbena, Ernst Maria Rasel, Katharina Predehl, Thomas Legero, B. Lipphardt, H. Schnatz, Gesine Grosche

Published Sep 24, 2010• 27 citations
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Abstract

We demonstrate a fully optical, long-distance remote comparison of independent ultrastable optical frequencies reaching a short term stability that is superior to any reported remote comparison of optical frequencies. We use two ultrastable lasers, which are separated by a geographical distance of more than 50 km, and compare them via a 73 km long phase-stabilized fiber in a commercial telecommunication network. The remote characterization spans more than one optical octave and reaches a fractional frequency instability between the independent ultrastable laser systems of 3 x 10 (-15) in 0.1 s. The achieved performance at 100 ms represents an improvement by one order of magnitude to any previously reported remote comparison of optical frequencies and enables future remote dissemination of the stability of 100 mHz linewidth lasers within seconds.

DOI
10.1364/oe.18.021477

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We demonstrate a fully optical, long-distance remote comparison of independent ultrastable optical frequencies reaching a short term stability that is superior to any reported remote comparison of optical frequencies. We use two ultrastable lasers, which are separated by a geographical distance of more than 50 km, and compare them via a 73 km long phase-stabilized fiber in a commercial telecommunication network. The remote characterization spans more than one optical octave and reaches a fractional frequency instability between the independent ultrastable laser systems of 3 x 10 (-15) in 0.1 s. The achieved performance at 100 ms represents an improvement by one order of magnitude to any previously reported remote comparison of optical frequencies and enables future remote dissemination of the stability of 100 mHz linewidth lasers within seconds.
Experiments of transmission of sub-Hz cavity-stabilized 1542 nm laser frequency using a pair of 43 km dark fibers in urban environment are reported on successively 86 km and 172 km, with fractional frequency instability in the 10-19 range. A new approach is then introduced consisting in using part of an optical telecommunications network carrying simultaneously data traffic using a DWDM scheme to multiplex the metrological signal. This method is experimentally implemented using 22 km of fiber linking Université Paris 13 to its internet access point without degradation of the link instability. We finally present a project of large scale link between Paris and the German border using RENATER network which could constitute the first step of the building of a European optical network for ultrastable frequency dissemination and comparison.
We report an optical link of 540 km for ultrastable frequency distribution over the Internet fiber network. The phase-noise compensated link shows a fractional frequency instability in full bandwidth of 3 × 10 −14 at one second measurement time and 2 × 10 −18 at 30 000 s. This work is a significant step towards a sustainable wide area ultrastable optical frequency distribution and comparison network. Time transfer was demonstrated simultaneously on the same link and led to an absolute time accuracy (250 ps) and long-term timing stability (20 ps) which outperform the conventional satellite transfer methods by one order of magnitude. Current development addresses the question of multiple users distribution in the same metropolitan area. We demonstrate on-line extraction and first results show frequency stability at the same level as with conventional link. We also report an application to coherent frequency transfer to the mid-infrared. We demonstrate the frequency stabilisation of a mid-infrared laser to the near-infrared frequency reference transferred through the optical link. Fractional stability better than 4 × 10 −14 at 1 s averaging time was obtained, opening the way to ultrahigh resolution spectroscopy of molecular rovibrational transitions.
We demonstrate the long-distance transmission of an ultrastable optical frequency derived directly from a state-of-the-art optical frequency standard. Using an active stabilization system we deliver the frequency via a 146-km-long underground fiber link with a fractional instability of 3 x 10(-15) at 1 s, which is close to the theoretical limit for our transfer experiment. After 30,000 s, the relative uncertainty for the transfer is at the level of 1 x 10(-19). Tests with a very short fiber show that noise in our stabilization system contributes fluctuations that are 2 orders of magnitude lower, namely, 3 x 10(-17) at 1 s, reaching 10(-20) after 4,000 s.
The phase coherence of an ultrastable optical frequency reference is fully maintained over actively stabilized fiber networks of lengths exceeding 30 km. For a 7-km link installed in an urban environment, the transfer instability is 6 x 10{-18} at 1 s. The excess phase noise of 0.15 rad, integrated from 8 mHz to 25 MHz, yields a total timing jitter of 0.085 fs. A 32-km link achieves similar performance. Using frequency combs at each end of the coherent-transfer fiber link, a heterodyne beat between two independent ultrastable lasers, separated by 3.5 km and 163 THz, achieves a 1-Hz linewidth.
By using two-way frequency transfer, we implement a real-time frequency comparison over a uni-directional telecommunication network of 100 km using a pair of parallel fibers with simultaneous digital data transfer. The relative frequency stability is ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ at 1-s integration time and reaches $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ at 40 000 s, three orders of magnitude below the one-way fiber instability. We also demonstrate ultrahigh-resolution comparison of optical frequencies with a bidirectional scheme using a single fiber. We show that the relative stability at 1-s integration time is $7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}$ and scales down to $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}$. The same level of performance is reached when an optical link is implemented with an active compensation of the fiber noise. The fractional uncertainty of the frequency comparisons was evaluated for the best case to $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}$. These results open the way to accurate and high-resolution frequency comparison of optical clocks over intercontinental fiber networks.