Two wavelength frequency transfer over an optical fiber link

¹ Instituto Português da Qualidade, Rua António Gião 2, 2829-513 Caparica, Portugal
² Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal

^* Corresponding author: carlosp@ipq.pt

Published online: 20 August 2020

Abstract

In this paper we present the theory and the experimental setup used to transfer a standard frequency, to synchronize two clocks linked by an optical fiber. In order to verify the accuracy on frequency transfer over fiber link, we prepared an experiment that allows testing the performance of the setup for a variable set of environmental conditions, namely associated to temperature and vibration variations. The experimental setup shows the fiber optic link between one laboratory, where the standard frequency is generated, and another laboratory, where the equipment for simulating temperatures and vibrations are installed. The standard frequency, traceable to UTC(IPQ), is used to modulate two lasers with different wavelength,, injected in the optical fiber. At the end of the optical fiber the signals will be out of phase due to the inherent chromatic dispersion, which is also dependent on the temperature of the propagation media. Measuring the phase variations, caused by temperature gradients in the fiber, we can compensate the frequency transfer and synchronize the clocks. Evaluating all uncertainty components in this model, allows the metrological characterization of the synchronization and obtain the associated uncertainty of this quantity.