Two-way optical time transfer using a photonic chip
US11063740B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 2020 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 29, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0279
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Embodiments herein describe sub-picosecond accurate two-way clock synchronization by optically combining received optical pulses with optical pulses generated locally in a photonic chip before the optical signals are then detected by a photodetector to obtain an interference measurement. That is, the optical pulses can have different repetition rates so that the offset between the received and local optical pulses constantly changes, thereby resulting in different interference measurements. Optically combining the pulses in the photonic chip avoids much of the jitter introduced by the electronics. Further, the sites can obtain multiple interference measurements which can be evaluated to accurately determine when the optical pulses arrive at the site with femtosecond accuracy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.