High-precision timing is vital in space communication for tasks like navigation, data transfer, and coordinating satellite constellations. Currently, ground segments rely on microwave clocks, but emerging optical clocks and links offer great improvements in resolution, precision, and stability for next generation systems. However, integrating optical clocks with conventional microwave sources presents a challenge. Our solution, an optical-to-microwave phase detector, addresses this by enabling synchronization with few-femtosecond residual jitter between an optical- and a microwave source. With a phase/timing resolution of 0.01 fs RMS and a noise-floor below 1 fs RMS, this detector becomes a key technology as optical clock adoption grows in ground segments.
Frequency and timing (F&T) distribution systems are the backbone of astronomical telescopes providing the required temporal resolution for challenging space missions. Currently, most telescope networks and arrays employ conventional distribution systems based on electronic detection and coaxial distribution which limits the long-term frequency stability to typically < 1×10-15 at 1000 s1. Recently, optical F&T distribution systems have been developed and successfully implemented in large scale laser facilities providing residual femtosecond timing jitter and drift2. In this paper, we review optical F&T distribution methods based on continuous wave (CW) and pulsed lasers and their feasibility for radio astronomy. We present experimental results on the F&T distribution performance of fiber links stabilized by both methods. Our CW link reaches 4.1×10-17 at 1000 s for microwave transmission, whereas our pulsed link achieves 2.1× 10-17 at 1000 s for microwave transmission and 1.2×10-18 at 1000 s for optical timing transmission. Finally, we conclude the paper with a trade-off analysis between these two methods.
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