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What is Frequency Transfer?
Frequency transfer is the transmission of a highly stable and accurate frequency reference from one location to another, typically through an optical fiber. It enables distant systems such as optical clocks, laboratories, and precision instruments to share the same frequency reference with extremely high accuracy.
Optical frequency transfer preserves the stability of the reference signal over long distances by actively compensating for phase noise introduced by the fiber link. This makes it possible to compare optical clocks and distribute precise frequency references between geographically separated facilities for advanced metrology and scientific research.
HOW Frequency Transfer Works
The operation of optical frequency transfer can be understood through three main steps:
Reference generation
An ultra-stable optical frequency is generated from a highly accurate reference, such as an optical clock.
Fiber transmission
The reference signal is transmitted through an optical fiber. During propagation, temperature variations, vibrations, and acoustic disturbances introduce phase noise into the signal.
Noise compensation
Active stabilization and regeneration systems detect and compensate for the phase noise accumulated along the fiber, allowing the original frequency stability to be preserved over long distances.
