May 1, 2014 / Vol. 39, No.

9 / OPTICS LETTERS 2545

Eavesdropping time and frequency: phase

noise cancellation along a
time-varying path, such as an optical fiber
Gesine Grosche
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany ([email protected])
Received March 4, 2014; accepted March 8, 2014;
posted March 14, 2014 (Doc. ID 207644); published April 17, 2014
Single-mode optical fiber is a highly efficient connecting medium used not only for optical telecommunications but
also for the dissemination of ultrastable frequencies or timing signals. Ma et al. [Opt. Lett. 19, 1777 (1994)] described
a measurement and control system to deliver the same optical frequency at two places, namely
the two ends of a fiber, by eliminating the “fiber-induced phase-noise modulation, which corrupts high-precision
frequency-based applications.” I present a simple detection and control scheme to deliver the same optical
frequency at many places anywhere along a transmission path, or in its vicinity, with a relative instability of 1 part
in 1019 . The same idea applies to radio frequency and timing signals. This considerably simplifies future efforts
to make precise timing or frequency signals available to many users, as required in some large-scale science
experiments. © 2014 Optical Society of America
OCIS codes: (060.2360) Fiber optics links and subsystems; (060.2840) Heterodyne; (120.3940) Metrology.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.39.002545

Optical frequency references and clocks have achieved enable high-fidelity distribution of frequency or time even
an unprecedented accuracy of better than 1 part in 1017 for large-area science projects, such as radio telescope
[1,2], with an instability near 1 part in 1018 [3]. They are arrays [7] or national metrology networks.
formidable tools for precision experiments, which often To explain the basic idea, we first consider the existing
rely on converting the quantity to be measured into a fre- scheme for point-to-point stabilization. Figure 1 shows a
quency. Some of the most fundamental questions in phys- commonly implemented and well-characterized method
ics relate to quantities of energy, space, and time, and for phase-stable transmission of an ultrastable optical
these quantities are directly related to frequency (and/or frequency νlocal from a local point A to a remote point Z
phase). This makes experiments probing fundamental [8–10,12,20]. Analogous, earlier designs enable the phase-
questions accessible to frequency or phase measurements, stable transmission of radio frequency [21,22] or pulsed
for example testing for time variations of fundamental [23] signals. The method is reminiscent of [11,24] (though
constants [4] or large-area Sagnac interferometers [5]. A different) and can be understood by viewing the entire
prominent example is relativistic geodesy, that is, the transmission path from A to the mirror at Z as the long
measurement of gravitational redshift with optical clocks arm of an interferometer.
[6]. We therefore wish to transfer timing or frequency We denote by Δϕij the phase shift experienced by a
signals to other experimental sites, enabling applications signal travelling from any point i to point j and assume
outside metrology [4–7]. symmetry of the transmission path: Δϕij
Δϕji . The
To date, efforts have focused on long-distance connec- acousto-optic modulator (AOM) AOM2 provides a fixed
tions [8–10] between just two points, one “remote” lab frequency shift to distinguish light that has reached the
and one “local” lab connected by an optical fiber, using mirror at Z from light reflected anywhere else along the
methods similar to that proposed in 1994 by Ma et al. [11] transmission path. At photodetector DetA, the returned
to correct phase perturbations between the local and light is superimposed with local light traveling through
remote end. For example, we have transmitted optical a short reference arm. This yields a beat signal with
frequencies with a relative accuracy of 10−19 over 146 km frequency
deployed fiber [12] and remotely characterized optical
clock lasers online with hertz-level resolution [13]. f DetA
2f AOM1  Δϕ_ AZ ∕2π  f AOM2 
Significant efforts are now underway to establish na-
tional and even international metrology fiber networks. and phase reflecting the momentary phase difference be-
One important question [14–19] is how to distribute tween the two interferometer arms. The beat signal f DetA
reference frequencies to many users simultaneously in is compared to a synthesized signal at frequency f synth
a cost-effective way. Surprisingly, with one point-to-point with a phase-frequency comparator [21] or a simple
connection (such as a long stabilized fiber), we can mixer. A servo acts on the phase and frequency of AOM1
“tap” this fiber anywhere and locally derive a reference to maintain a constant phase difference between the
frequency with the same precision as that achieved at beat signal and the synthesizer signal, resulting in a fixed
the end point [18]. We present the patented concept, phase relationship (modulo the frequency offset f synth ∕2)
an experimental setup achieving relative frequency insta- between light at point Z and at point A. Thus the
bility of 10−19 , and several extensions of the idea; these frequency delivered to point Z is given by νZ
νlocal 
include a branching design and the multipoint dissemina- f synth ∕2
νA  f synth ∕2.
tion of time using two-way transfer. The methods To generate a phase-stable signal at an intermediate
complement the Ethernet-based “White Rabbit” [19] and point C along the transmission path, we now tap the
0146-9592/14/092545-04$15.00/0 © 2014 Optical Society of America
2546 OPTICS LETTERS / Vol. 39, No. 9 / May 1, 2014

A B ∆φBC C
∆φCZ νZ
Z
link at small extra cost for each. While [16] introduces
νlocal AOM1 AOM2 extra frequencies, here the main link is unchanged.
mirror The signal processing is a simple and robust feed-forward
fAOM1 fAOM2
servo synthesizer
system, which automatically works continuously and
DetA ~ fsynth ν Z = ν local+ fsynth /2 remote allows a free choice of correction bandwidth; in contrast
to [16,17] it requires no additional stabilization.
Fig. 1. Stabilized fiber link connecting the remote point Z with Furthermore, high-power ultrastable light can be made
the local point A. For a detailed discussion, see for instance available [18]. If we wish to preserve optical power in the
[8,20]. main link, asymmetric beam splitters or tap couplers ex-
tract only a small percentage of the light. The extracted
transmitted signal in both directions. Figures 1 and 2 and power may be boosted, for example with an erbium-
the analysis describe in detail one implementation ([18], doped fiber amplifier before detector DetC. Alternatively,
p. 2); similar setups are suitable for periodically modu- the weak (∼μW) extracted signals are first superimposed
lated or pulsed signals [18]. Here the terminology of with light from a laser at frequency νL0 giving two strong
optical frequency transfer is used. heterodyne beat signals νb − νL0 and νf − νL0 . Their differ-
The forward propagating light has frequency ence frequency is again νb − νf and is independent of νL0
and its fluctuations. As before, after division by two, it
νf :
νC−f
νA  f AOM1  ΔϕAC ∕2π; may serve as a correction frequency. Alternatively, if
the mean frequency of the two heterodyne beat signals,
whereas backward propagating light has frequency νb − νL0  νf − νL0 ∕2, is added as a correction to νL0
(e.g., via an AOM), we obtain ultrastable, high-power
laser light at frequency νL
νZ .
νb :
νC−b
νA  f AOM1  Δϕ_ AZ ∕2π  2f AOM2  Δϕ_ ZC ∕2π: Key advantages of the scheme are its simple installa-
tion and its monitoring capability. By locating point Z
We superimpose forward- and backward propagating in a second metrology lab, or even next to the input, thus
light on photodetector DetC (here ignoring noise beyond forming a loop A–Z, the main link stabilization may be
the tapping point) to generate a beat signal at frequency tested and optimized to reach the physical limits [20]
and to verify its accuracy. Later, the same setup monitors
νb − νf
Δϕ_ CZ ∕2π  2f AOM2  Δϕ_ ZC ∕2π the link performance and allows online verification and

2Δϕ_ CZ ∕2π  f AOM2 : (1) assessment of the frequency distribution.
The new scheme was tested using a narrow-linewidth
(<5 kHz) optical source (Koheras Adjustik fiber laser) at
The beat signal is amplified and its frequency digitally
a frequency near 194.3 THz, on a short but intrinsically
divided by two. Applying this as a correction frequency
noisy fiber link. This allows exploring the fiber noise
f corr :
νb − νf ∕2 to the forward propagating light at
suppression and detecting system noise contributions.
point C, for instance using another AOM, we obtain a
Our test link is a combination of a 10 m spool wound
stable signal at point C:
around a thin metal drum and 100 m exposed fiber going
to another laboratory (some 40 m away) and back. Point
νC-out
νf  f corr
νZ
νlocal  f synth ∕2: C is located at the input of the 100 m fiber. Touching or
wriggling this fiber, or the fiber section wound around
This can be viewed as detecting at point C the addi- the drum, introduces massive phase noise, visible as a
tional phase shift between points C and Z, and applying beat linewidth of several kilohertz. In initial, separate ex-
this to the signal coupled out at point C, so that its fre- periments, which served to verify the new scheme, we
quency and phase follow those of the signal at point Z. also used an AOM to introduce large and well-defined
The output at point C is thus ideally as stable as νZ . Since perturbations.
νZ
νb  νf ∕2, applying −f corr to the backward propa- The overall configuration is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
gating light at point C also yields νZ [15,18]. but with the remote point Z and local point A located in
The design has several useful properties. Many access the same laboratory. We stabilize A → Z with the stan-
points D, E, … may be operated along a single stabilized dard scheme and measure the remote frequency νZ . We
also record the output frequency νC-out at the intermedi-
ate point C using the new scheme, and, additionally, the
frequency correction f corr applied to the AOM at point
C. f corr shows the fluctuations of the free-running link be-
tween points C and Z. All beat frequencies are recorded
with totalizing counters (Kramer + Klische FXE; Π–type
operation [25]), to give a time sequence of frequency
values from which we calculate the frequency instability
(Allan deviation, ADEV, [25]).
Open diamonds in Fig. 3 show the frequency instability
at point C when implementing the new scheme as
Fig. 2. Signal generation at point C, from signals tapped in shown in Figs. 1 and 2: νC-out reaches a relative instability
forward and backward directions, with frequencies νf and νb . (ADEV in >10 kHz bandwidth) of 10−17 after 1000 s.
 May 1, 2014 / Vol. 39, No. 9 / OPTICS LETTERS 2547

Free-running fiber noise (full green triangles, f corr ) is

clearly suppressed.
However, ADEVνC-out  shows a plateau from 10…
100 s, characteristic of uncompensated fiber paths [26],
and the instability of νC-out is roughly 10 times that of νZ
(small black circles). A similar, but higher, plateau of
excess instability was reported in [14], using a modified
implementation of this scheme [18] but operating at radio
frequencies; a plateau was also seen recently in [15],
reaching 4 × 10−18 at 10000 s with a modified optical Fig. 4. Improved “tentacle” design for detection unit. FRM,
implementation. Our excess instability falls below 10−18 Faraday rotator mirror; AOM, acousto-optic modulator; DetC,
at 10000 s. Since end-point optical fiber links are feasible photodector. Fiber paths f 1 and b1 contribute no noise to νC-out .
at the 10−19 level [9,10,12] even for long distances, and the
newest optical clocks [1–3] achieve an instability near and effects of link asymmetry will be discussed else-
10−18 , we wish to eliminate this excess noise. where. We call the improved version the “tentacle”
Analysis of the fiber paths that contribute to frequency design: extra paths (or “tentacles”) f 1 and b1 at point
fluctuations at point C, see Fig. 2, shows that νC-out
C that deliver νC-out no longer introduce any additional
νf  νb ∕2  f 1  b1 ∕2  f 3  f 4 . [Notation: we write noise but cancel completely. Thus, f 1 and b1 may be
f 1 etc., for both the fiber paths and the frequency fluctu- made long, enabling a true branching distribution from
ations arising from them.] The total length of exposed, a fiber backbone link, which reaches into the vicinity
uncompensated fiber is ∼2–3 m. An improved design, of the main transmission path.
which minimizes uncompensated fiber paths, is shown Like the original point-to-point method, the basic idea
in Fig. 4. of the current scheme is not restricted to optical fibers
For this design (full blue squares in Fig. 3), νC-out is as but is applicable to any time-varying signal path of suffi-
stable as νZ for short times (10−17 at 10 s); the excess fre- cient symmetry—in particular, it is well suited for free-
quency instability at 1000 s is below 10−18 . After 10000 s, space connections [18]. Similarly, dissemination of an
an instability below 10−19 is reached; this is a factor 40 optical carrier frequency is just a special case. The same
lower than reported in [15]. The total uncompensated principles apply for any periodic signal (such that we can
fiber length (Fig. 4) was below 0.8 m, with f 2 , f 3 , and define a phase Δϕij ), including pulsed signals [23], radio
part of f 4 being colocated inside a box to minimize air frequency modulation (as recently implemented in [14]),
currents and mounted on a 12 mm thick aluminum board and any signals modulated onto such carriers, or even
as a thermal mass. Further noise reduction is possible by the simultaneous dissemination of several frequencies
environmental shielding, length-matching fibers so tem- [18]. In consequence, synchronization of many locations
perature changes enter common mode (f 2 ∼ f 3  f 4 ), may be realized, for instance by using a slowly chirped
and/or active temperature stabilization. optical frequency on a stabilized fiber link [28] combined
Reaching the 10−19 instability level, this proof-of-prin- with the scheme above.
ciple experiment demonstrates that the scheme supports A much more general application follows without
state-of-the-art clock comparisons. A simplified analysis stabilized transmission paths, instead tapping a two-way
of the delay limit [20] gives the same precision (or, ac- time and frequency transfer (TWTFT) link [29]; we call
tually better precision, see recent analysis and experi- this “eavesdropping” time (and frequency), see Fig. 5.
mental results in [27]) at the intermediate point as at Classic TWTFT, first demonstrated via the Telstar 1
the end point. Further aspects relating to polarization satellite 50 years ago [30] and later implemented via fiber
[29], uses counterpropagating signals sent and received
by the two end points A and Z. The time difference be-
tween sending and receiving is measured by time interval
counters (TICs) at point A and point Z to give the clock
difference (simplified from [29,31]):

clockA − clockZ
TICA − TICZ∕2 − τZA − τAZ ∕2;

where τAZ is the signal delay between A and Z. For a

symmetric link (τZA
τAZ ), this directly allows clock

Fig. 3. Measured frequency instability (ADEV). Green trian-

gles: f corr , represents free-running fiber (see text); black open
circles: νZ , stabilized remote output at Z; blue open diamonds: Fig. 5. Eavesdropping on a TWTFT link between points A and
νC-out , stabilized output at point C, first design; full blue squares: Z, which simultaneously send signals S forw and S back . At each
νC-out for the improved design. extraction point, signal S Bout exits the apparatus at time τAZ ∕2.
2548 OPTICS LETTERS / Vol. 39, No. 9 / May 1, 2014

synchronization, that is clockZ0
clockA, so both end 9. O. Lopez, A. Haboucha, B. Chanteau, C. Chardonnet, A.
points can send a signal at the same time and know Amy-Klein, and G. Santarelli, Opt. Express 20, 23518 (2012).
τAZ . Now we tap these forward and backward travelling 10. K. Predehl, G. Grosche, S. M. F. Raupach, S. Droste, O.
signals, at any point B (here chosen closer to A than Z), Terra, J. Alnis, T. Legero, T. W. Hänsch, T. Udem, R.
and measure the time difference for signal arrival Holzwarth, and H. Schnatz, Science 336, 441 (2012).
TICB :
tarrival S Bback  − tarrival S Bforw 
τZB − τAB . If we 11. L. S. Ma, P. Jungner, J. Ye, and J. L. Hall, Opt. Lett. 19, 1777
delay the forward extracted signal at B by 1∕2TICB, (1994).
12. G. Grosche, O. Terra, K. Predehl, R. Holzwarth, B.
it will exit our apparatus at point B at tS Bout 

Lipphardt, F. Vogt, U. Sterr, and H. Schnatz, Opt. Lett.
τAB  τZB − τAB ∕2
τAZ ∕2, in the timescale given by
34, 2270 (2009).
clockA (and clockZ0 ). Note that all points along a link 13. A. Pape, O. Terra, J. Friebe, M. Riedmann, T. Wübbena,
can be synchronized to each other without τAZ being E. M. Rasel, K. Predehl, T. Legero, B. Lipphardt, H. Schnatz,
known, or even stable, simply by eavesdropping: all and G. Grosche, Opt. Express 18, 21477 (2010).
points experience the same offset τAZ ∕2. They share 14. C. Gao, B. Wang, W. L. Chen, Y. Bai, J. Miao, X. Zhu, T. C. Li,
reference frequencies provided by A or Z. If they are addi- and L. J. Wang, Opt. Lett. 37, 4690 (2012).
tionally given the information of τAZ , they may synchron- 15. Y. Bai, B. Wang, X. Zhu, C. Gao, J. Miao, and L. J. Wang, Opt.
ize to the reference time scale of clockA. Lett. 38, 3333 (2013).
Implementation may use receiver modules of standard 16. S. W. Schediwy, D. Gozzard, K. G. H. Baldwin, B. J. Orr,
TWTFT-modems, as in point-to-point fiber-based time R. B. Warrington, G. Aben, and A. N. Luiten, Opt. Lett.
transfer [32,33] or newly developed electronic delay lines 38, 2893 (2013).
and time signal encoders/decoders [34]. 17. P. Krehlik, L. Sliwczynski, L. Buczek, and M. Lipinski, IEEE
In summary, we have presented new methods which— Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 60, 1804 (2013).
using very little extra instrumentation—make available 18. G. Grosche, “Verfahren zum Bereitstellen einer Referenz-
at intermediate points along or near a transmission path Frequenz,” German patent DE 200810062139 (June 24,
the same timing or frequency signals that previously 2010).
could only be delivered to its end points. Specifically, 19. http://www.ohwr.org/projects/white‑rabbit.
20. P. A. Williams, W. C. Swann, and N. R. Newbury, J. Opt. Soc.
for applications requiring the highest precision, we dem-
Am. B 25, 1284 (2008).
onstrated delivering an optical frequency to an intermedi-
21. M. Musha, Y. Sato, K. Nakagawa, K. Ueda, A. Ueda, and M.
ate point with relative instability 1 × 10−17 (10 s) and 10−19
Ishiguro, Appl. Phys. B. 82, 555 (2006).
(10000 s). An improved branching design reaches users 22. F. Narbonneau, M. Lours, S. Bize, A. Clairon, G. Santarelli,
in the vicinity of a point-to-point fiber link. If a ring O. Lopez, C. Daussy, A. Amy-Klein, and C. Chardonnet, Rev.
topology is used, the scheme enables monitored time Sci. Instrum. 77, 064701 (2006).
and frequency dissemination to many users. The idea 23. G. Marra, H. S. Margolis, and D. J. Richardson, Opt. Express
is applicable to any time-varying signal path, and we have 20, 1775 (2012).
outlined how to apply it, for example, to classic two-way 24. J. Ye, J. L. Peng, R. J. Jones, K. W. Holman, J. L. Hall, D. J.
time and frequency transfer links with intermediate Jones, S. A. Diddams, J. Kitching, S. Bize, J. C. Bergquist,
access. L. W. Hollberg, L. Robertsson, and L. S. Ma, J. Opt. Soc.
I am indebted to Fritz Riehle and Giorgio Santarelli Am. B 20, 1459 (2003).
25. S. T. Dawkins, J. J. McFerran, and A. N. Luiten, IEEE Trans.
for their indefatigable enthusiasm and openness to new
Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 54, 918 (2007).
ideas, to the authors of [11] for lucid writing, and to the 26. G. Grosche, B. Lipphardt, and H. Schnatz, Eur. Phys. J. D
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 407 and QUEST, 48, 27 (2008).
Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time 27. A. Bercy, S. Guellati-Khelifa, F. Stefani, G. Santarelli, C.
Research) and the European Space Agency for financial Chardonnet, P.-E. Pottie, O. Lopez, and A. Amy-Klein, J.
support. Opt. Soc. Am. B 31, 678 (2014).
28. S. M. F. Raupach and G. Grosche, “Chirped frequency
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