OPTICAL CLOCKS AND FREQUENCY METROLOGY FOR SPACE

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (12b) ◽  
pp. 2537-2540
Author(s):  
HUGH KLEIN
Keyword(s):  
European Space Agency ◽  
Frequency Standard ◽  
Optical Frequency ◽  
Fundamental Physics ◽  
Frequency Standards ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Primary Frequency ◽  
Measurement Capabilities ◽  
Science Activities ◽  
Frequency Metrology

Optical frequency standards and femtosecond comb measurement capabilities now rival and in some cases exceed those of microwave devices, with further improvements anticipated. Opportunities are emerging for the application of highly stable and accurate optical frequency devices to fundamental physics space science activities, and the European Space Agency (ESA) has recently commissioned studies on different aspects of optical clocks in space. This paper highlights some examples, including the difficulty of comparing very accurate terrestrial clocks at different locations due to fluctuations of the geoid; by locating a primary frequency standard in space, one could avoid geoid-related gravitational redshifts.

Accuracy Evaluation and Stability of the NBS Primary Frequency Standards

1974 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Glaze ◽  
Helmut Hellwig ◽  
David W. Allan ◽  
Stephen Jarvis ◽  
Arthur E. Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
Accuracy Evaluation ◽  
Frequency Standards ◽  
Primary Frequency

scholarly journals Progress in Realization of the Time Unit and Scales

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 253-254
Author(s):  
J. Kovalevsky
Keyword(s):  
Universal Time ◽  
Atomic Scale ◽  
Frequency Standards ◽  
Unit Scale ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Great Progress ◽  
Scale Interval ◽  
To Come ◽  
Primary Frequency ◽  
Atomic Time

AbstractThe establishment of the TAI is done in two steps: the construction of the EAT from clocks in laboratories, then its steering by primary frequency standards. Great progress in the precision and stability of EAL was made by the generalized use of GPS time transfer and by the introduction of hydrogen masers and new very performant clocks. Only two primary frequency standards are sufficiently accurate to steer the frequency of TAI, but new standards are now being assessed. The present stability of TAI is 5.10−15 and the accuracy 2.10−14. Improvements should occur in the years to come.The establishment of the International Atomic Time (TAI) and the resulting Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by the time section of BIPM is done in two steps (Guinot and Thomas, 1988). At first, a free atomic scale, EAL (Echelle atomique libre) is built in two month blocks combining data from about 200 atomic clocks kept by 60 laboratories and regularly reported to the BIPM by 45 centres which maintain a local coordinated universal time, UTC(k). Then, the duration of the scale interval of EAL is compared with data from primary caesium standards producing the SI second which, in turn, is converted on the rotating geoid as the unit scale of TAL A linear function of time with the necessary slope is added to EAL to ensure the accuracy of the TAI scale interval.

scholarly journals Development of a space cold atom clock

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1828-1836
Author(s):  
Wei Ren ◽  
Tang Li ◽  
Qiuzhi Qu ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Relativity ◽  
Dark Matter ◽  
Cold Atoms ◽  
Cold Atom ◽  
Deep Space ◽  
Fundamental Physics ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Frequency Standards ◽  
Scientific Experiments ◽  
Primary Frequency

Abstract Atomic clocks with cold atoms play important roles in the field of fundamental physics as well as primary frequency standards. Operating such cold atom clocks in space paves the way for further exploration in fundamental physics, for example dark matter and general relativity. We developed a space cold atom clock (SCAC), which was launched into orbit with the Space Lab TG-2 in 2016. Before it deorbited with TG-2 in 2019, the SCAC had been working continuously for almost 3 years. During the period in orbit, many scientific experiments and engineering tests were performed. In this article, we summarize the principle, development and in-orbit results. These works provide the basis for construction of a space-borne time-frequency system in deep space.

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