High-accuracy coherent optical frequency transfer over a doubled 642-km fiber link

To significantly improve the frequency references used in radio-astronomy and the precision measurements in atomic physics, we provide frequency dissemination through a 642-km coherent optical fiber link. On the frequency transfer, we obtained a frequency instability of \(3\times 10^{-19}\) at 1,000 s in terms of Allan deviation on a 5-mHz measurement bandwidth, and an accuracy of \(5\times 10^{-19}\) . The ultimate link performance has been evaluated by doubling the link to 1,284 km, demonstrating a new characterization technique based on the double round trip on a single fiber. This method is an alternative to previously demonstrated techniques for link characterization. In particular, the use of a single fiber may be beneficial to long hauls realizations in view of a continental fiber network for frequency and time metrology, as it avoids the doubling of the amplifiers, with a subsequent reduction in costs and maintenance. A detailed analysis of the results is presented, regarding the phase noise, the cycle-slips detection and removal and the instability evaluation. The observed noise power spectrum is seldom found in the literature; hence, the expression of the Allan deviation is theoretically derived and the results confirm the expectations.     

High-resolution microwave frequency transfer over an 86-km-long optical fiber network using a mode-locked laser

We demonstrate the transfer of an ultrastable microwave frequency by transmitting a 30-nm-wide optical frequency comb from a mode-locked laser over 86?km of installed optical fiber. The pulse train is returned to the transmitter via the same fiber for compensation of environmentally induced optical path length changes. The fractional transfer stability measured at the remote end reaches 4×10(-17) after 1600?s, corresponding to a timing jitter of 64?fs.     

Full phase stabilization of a Yb:fiber femtosecond frequency comb via high-bandwidth transducers

We present full phase stabilization of an amplified Yb:fiber femtosecond frequency comb using an intracavity electro-optic modulator and an acousto-optic modulator. These transducers provide high servo bandwidths of 580 kHz and 250 kHz for f(rep) and f(ceo), producing a robust and low phase noise fiber frequency comb. The comb was self-referenced with an f-2f interferometer and phase locked to an ultrastable optical reference used for the JILA Sr optical clock at 698 nm, exhibiting 0.21 rad and 0.47 rad of integrated phase errors (over 1 mHz-1 MHz), respectively. Alternatively, the comb was locked to two optical references at 698 nm and 1064 nm, obtaining 0.43 rad and 0.14 rad of integrated phase errors, respectively.     

基于光纤的光学频率传递研究

随着光钟研究的发展, 光钟的稳定度和不确定度均达到10^-18量级. 通过光纤可以实现光钟频率信号的高精度传输, 有望用于未来“秒”定义的复现. 演示了百公里级实验室光纤上的光学频率传递. 对于在实验室70 km光纤盘上实现的光频传递, 光纤相位噪声抑制在1-250 Hz傅里叶频率范围内均接近于光纤延时极限, 对应传输稳定度(Allan偏差)为秒级稳定度1.2×10^-15, 10000 s稳定度为1.4×10^-18. 实验室100 km光纤的光频传递秒级稳定度也达到了5×10^-15. 提出了光纤噪声用户端补偿的方案, 可以简化星形传递网络中心站的复杂度. 在25 km光纤上演示了该传递方案, 实现的传输稳定度接近传统前置补偿传递方案.     

Joint transfer of time and frequency signals and multi-point synchronization via fiber network

A system of jointly transferring time signals with a rate of 1 pulse per second(PPS) and frequency signals of 10 MHz via a dense wavelength division multiplex-based(DWDM) fiber is demonstrated in this paper.The noises of the fiber links are suppressed and compensated for by a controlled fiber delay line.A method of calibrating and characterizing time is described.The 1PPS is synchronized by feed-forward calibrating the fiber delays precisely.The system is experimentally examined via a 110 km spooled fiber in laboratory.The frequency stabilities of the user end with compensation are1.8×10~(-14) at 1 s and 2.0×10~(-17) at 10~4 s average time.The calculated uncertainty of time synchronization is 13.1 ps,whereas the direct measurement of the uncertainty is 12 ps.Next,the frequency and 1PPS are transferred via a metropolitan area optical fiber network from one central site to two remote sites with distances of 14 km and 110 km.The frequency stabilities of 14 km link reach 3.0×10~(-14) averaged in 1 s and 1.4×10~(-17) in 10~4 s respectively;and the stabilities of 110 km link are 8.3×10~(-14) and 1.7×10~(-17),respectively.The accuracies of synchronization are estimated to be 12.3 ps for the14 km link and 13.1 ps for the 110 km link,respectively.     

200 km沙漠链路高精度光纤时频传递关键技术研究

针对沙漠环境实地链路存在的温度变化大、室外风力、地表振动等多种复杂噪声来源,通过对系统反馈补偿带宽、反馈补偿强度、光功率等时频传递系统关键参数的优化配置,研究了不同反馈补偿参数下复杂链路噪声的有效抑制技术.全链路的频率传递稳定度8×10~(-14)@1s,1×10~(-16)@1000 s,千秒尺度下时间信号传递的时间方差仅为1.2 ps.实现了氢钟信号在200 km量级沙漠环境实地链路的无损传输.该验证实验在基于短基线干涉测量的卫星测轨系统中发挥了重要作用.     

Timing jitter reduction over 20-km urban fiber by compensating harmonic phase difference of locked femtosecond comb

A novel timing jitter reduction system over a round trip 20-km urban fiber link is reported. The phase difference of the ninth harmonic of a high-repetition-rate mode-locked laser between the local and the returned signals is obtained. Based on the phase difference, the system uses an optical delay line （ODL） to compensate the optical fiber link. The root-mean-square （RMS） timing jitter is reduced from 50 to 8.9 ps in 80 min.     

In-Field n × 40 Gb/s Transmission Experiments with In-Line All-Optical Wavelength Conversion

In this work, WDM transmission with 40-Gbit/s per channel bit rate has been experimentally demonstrated over a 500-km link. Different chromatic dispersion conditions have been managed and in-line all-optical wavelength conversion has been carried out with a periodical poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device in a polarization-independent scheme. The link was obtained by connecting the fibers contained in an installed cable between Roma and Pomezia (25 km), encompassing single-mode (G.652) and high-end (G.655, non-zero dispersion with a particular value and flat curve for chromatic dispersion) fibers. Some 40 Gb/s channels were propagated in the link 500 km long and one channel was dropped from the link after 300-km propagation, wavelength converted, and added to the other channels for the next 200 km. The electrical data interfaces exploited a 4 × 10 Gbit/s to 1 × 40 Gbit/s MUX at the transmitter, along with a 1 × 40 Gbit/s to 4 × 10 Gbit/s DMUX at the receiver. Successful transmission of 4 channels, 200-GHz spaced, has been achieved over 500 km along both G.652 and G.655 links. No evidence of penalty comparing converted and unconverted channels has been reported. Transmission experiments of 8 × 40 Gbit/s, with 100 GHz frequency spacing, are also reported. No significant degradation has been observed in the case of the G.652 link.     

Phase-coherent comparison of two optical frequency standards over 146 km using a telecommunication fiber link

We have explored the performance of two “dark fibers” of a commercial telecommunication fiber link for a remote comparison of optical clocks. The two fibers, linking the Leibniz University of Hanover (LUH) with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig, are connected in Hanover to form a total fiber length of 146 km. At PTB the performance of an optical frequency standard operating at 456 THz was imprinted to a cw transfer laser at 194 THz, and its frequency was transmitted over the fiber. In order to detect and compensate phase noise related to the optical fiber link we have built a low-noise optical fiber interferometer and investigated noise sources that affect the overall performance of the optical link. The frequency stability at the remote end has been measured using the clock laser of PTB’s Yb⁺ frequency standard operating at 344 THz. We show that the frequency of a frequency-stabilized fiber laser can be transmitted over a total fiber length of 146 km with a relative frequency uncertainty below 1×10⁻¹⁹, and short term frequency instability given by the fractional Allan deviation of σ _y (τ)=3.3×10⁻¹⁵/(τ/s).     

Gain Controlling of Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier by Samarium Doped Inner-Cladding in the 1.5µm Region

In this work, WDM transmission with 40-Gbit/s per channel bit rate has been experimentally demonstrated over a 500-km link. Different chromatic dispersion conditions have been managed and in-line all-optical wavelength conversion has been carried out with a periodical poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device in a polarization-independent scheme. The link was obtained by connecting the fibers contained in an installed cable between Roma and Pomezia (25 km), encompassing single-mode (G.652) and high-end (G.655, non-zero dispersion with a particular value and flat curve for chromatic dispersion) fibers. Some 40 Gb/s channels were propagated in the link 500 km long and one channel was dropped from the link after 300-km propagation, wavelength converted, and added to the other channels for the next 200 km. The electrical data interfaces exploited a 4 × 10 Gbit/s to 1 × 40 Gbit/s MUX at the transmitter, along with a 1 × 40 Gbit/s to 4 × 10 Gbit/s DMUX at the receiver. Successful transmission of 4 channels, 200-GHz spaced, has been achieved over 500 km along both G.652 and G.655 links. No evidence of penalty comparing converted and unconverted channels has been reported. Transmission experiments of 8 × 40 Gbit/s, with 100 GHz frequency spacing, are also reported. No significant degradation has been observed in the case of the G.652 link.     

A 168-km ultra-long-range OTDR measurement at a wavelength of 1.55 μm

A Rayleigh backscattered signal and Fresnel reflection over a 167.6-km and a 251.2-km long pure silica-core fiber (PSF) with fiber loss 0.176 dB/km, and a 138.6-km and a 206.5-km long Ge-doped core dispersion shifted fiber (DSF) with fiber loss 0.218 dB/km have been observed with ultra-long-range optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) using a 1.55-μm high-power semiconductor laser (LD) and InGaAs-APD with a low dark current at room temperature. The Rayleigh backscattered signal level and fiber loss are strongly dependent on the fiber dopant materials and fiber structural parameters. DSF gives a better SNR for short length fibers because the Rayleigh backscattered signal level is larger than PSF, but because the DSF loss is also larger, PSF gives a better SNR for fibers longer than the critical length. Accordingly, the dynamic range of OTDR in the different fiber types such as PSF and DSF becomes different. One-way backscattered dynamic ranges of 29.5 dB for the PSF and about 30.2 dB for the DSF at room temperature have been achieved.     

A 168-km ultra-long-range OTDR measurement at a wavelength of 1.55 μm

A Rayleigh backscattered signal and Fresnel reflection over a 167.6-km and a 251.2-km long pure silica-core fiber (PSF) with fiber loss 0.176 dB/km, and a 138.6-km and a 206.5-km long Ge-doped core dispersion shifted fiber (DSF) with fiber loss 0.218 dB/km have been observed with ultra-long-range optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) using a 1.55-μm high-power semiconductor laser (LD) and InGaAs-APD with a low dark current at room temperature. The Rayleigh backscattered signal level and fiber loss are strongly dependent on the fiber dopant materials and fiber structural parameters. DSF gives a better SNR for short length fibers because the Rayleigh backscattered signal level is larger than PSF, but because the DSF loss is also larger, PSF gives a better SNR for fibers longer than the critical length. Accordingly, the dynamic range of OTDR in the different fiber types such as PSF and DSF becomes different. One-way backscattered dynamic ranges of 29.5 dB for the PSF and about 30.2 dB for the DSF at room temperature have been achieved.     

High-resolution microwave frequency dissemination on an 86-km urban optical link

We report the first demonstration of a long-distance ultra-stable frequency dissemination in the microwave range. A 9.15-GHz signal is transferred through an 86-km urban optical link with a fractional frequency instability of 1.3×10⁻¹⁵ at 1-s integration time and below 10⁻¹⁸ at one day. The optical link phase noise compensation is performed with a round-trip method. To achieve such a result we implement light polarisation scrambling and dispersion compensation. This link outperforms all the previous radio-frequency links and compares well with recently demonstrated full optical links.     

基于1085 km实地光纤链路的双波长光纤时间同步研究

在长距离高精度光纤时间同步系统中,为了减少后向反射光与光纤色散对传输精度的影响,本文在双波长光纤时间同步传输方法之上,提出了一种具有色散误差修正功能的双波长光纤时间同步传输方法.以自行研制的工程样机在长度约为800 km的实验室光纤链路上和1085 km的实地光纤链路上进行了实验测试,也是国内首次实现千公里级实地光纤时间同步传输.在实验室光纤链路上,测得传输链路色散补偿后的色散时延误差为10 ps,时间同步标准差为5.7 ps,稳定度为1.12 ps@105 s,不确定度为18.4 ps.在实地光纤链路上,测得传输链路色散补偿后的色散时延误差为60 ps,时间同步标准差为18 ps,稳定度为5.4 ps@4×10⁴ s,不确定度为63.5 ps.     

Hybrid multiplexed OFDM-DWDM-EPON access network

For bottleneck problem of the broadband access networks, Ethernet-PON comes out as a striking and promising solution. Even though, EPON nodes necessitate a cost-effective up-gradation, WDM based topology proves to be a vigilant up-grading approach that deals with the deployment of multiple wavelengths in the upstream/downstream directions. Furthermore, only EPON nodes with privileged traffic can be WDM-upgraded. Accordingly, we propose and demonstrate a hybrid multiplexed OFDM/DWDM-EPON access network employing OSSB modulation scheme. Case A demonstrates a single channel OFDM-OSSB-EPON system and achieves a fiber link of 27 km with split ratio of 16. Afterwards, a contrast between OFDM-EPON and conventional EPON (C-EPON) after a fiber link of 20 km with split ratio of 16 is carried out. Case B targets the transmission of two channels with channel spacing of 0.1 nm to realize OFDM-DWDM-OSSB-EPON system and achieves a fiber link of 20 km with split ratio of 32.     

Nd:YAG lasers at 1064 nm with 1-Hz linewidth

Two Nd:YAG lasers are tightly frequency-stabilized to separately located, vertically mounted ultrastable cavities, which are connected by single-mode optical fibers employing fiber phase noise cancellation. The optical heterodyne beat between two independent lasers shows that the linewidth of each laser reaches 1 Hz and the frequency drift is less than 0.3 Hz/s.     

All optical microwave photonic filters with a round-trip configuration

We propose novel photonic microwave multi-tap filters using a section of Hi-Bi fiber in a round-trip configuration, together with their application in a 20 km single mode fiber (SMF) radio-over-fiber (RoF) link. We demonstrate for the first time that the effect of chromatic dispersion in these multi-tap filters can be reduced in an RoF link when a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is adopted. This result can be used to combat radio frequency power fading in an RoF link. The configurations are free from optical coherent interference and phase noise. Measured results show 3-tap filters with notch rejections greater than 35 dB and suppression of the level of secondary sidelobes by adjusting a polarization controller. PACS 42.81.-I; 42.81.Gs; 07.50.Qx     

Transmission of an optical frequency through a 3 km long optical fiber

A 3 km long optical fiber is used to connect two laboratories in Paris. We present the metrological properties of this optical link to transfer an optical frequency standard at 778 nm and we show that the frequency shift introduced by the fiber is only of few Hz. Received: 23 October 1997 / Accepted: 18 November 1997     

Stable error-free single channel 160-Gb/s OTDM 100-km transmission via high-precision dispersion management

<正>A single channel with a 160-Gb/s optical time-division-multiplexing(OTDM) transmission over 100 km is fabricated.With the help of 500-GHz optical sampling oscilloscopes,the fiber length is adjusted to the order of 10 m,which corresponds to the accuracy of 0.4 ps for the dispersion compensation.The dispersion map is optimized for the 100-km transmission link.A completely error-free transmission with the power penalty of 3.6 dB is achieved for 2 h without using forward error correction.     

Design of millimeter-wave fiber-wireless downlink with remote local-oscillator delivery by using dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulators configured for optical single-sideband modulations

An optical fiber-wireless system operating in millimeter-wave (MMW) bands may include numerous optical remote access points (RAPs) of which the cost is critical to implement such systems in real market. In this paper, we design an optical fiber communication system for MMW optical fiber downlink transmission with remote MMW local-oscillator (LO) delivery for intermediate frequency (IF) fiber uplink transmission. The new design is based on two dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulators in parallel both configured for optical single-sideband modulations. By using the proposed design, a conventional RAP can be simplified in structure to reduce the cost. Our numerical results show that, with the proposed design, 1-Gbit/s binary-phase-shift-keying (BPSK) data at a 42-GHz sub-carrier frequency can be transmitted over a 20-km standard single-mode optical fiber followed by a wireless transmission of several kilometers. Moreover, a MMW LO at 37-GHz frequency can be remotely delivered over tens of kilometers of a standard single-mode fiber with acceptable deterioration in the LO phase noise for IF uplink fiber transmission.