International Clock and Oscillator Networking - ICON
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Time is the quantity, which can be measured to the highest precision of all metrological quantities. We all benefit from this extraordinary precision in our everyday lives, as precision time enables synchronization of data packets in ultrafast broadband communication and the determination of our position by computing the flight times of radiofrequency signals in Satellite Navigation to nanosecond precision. These economically important applications rely on microwave atomic clocks, which in their commercial form are precise to 1 part in 10^14.
We are currently facing a revolution in timing accuracy due to the invention of optical clocks and accessible ways of counting optical frequencies, which has already been recognised by the Nobel Price in Physics in 2005. These novel clocks already reach stabilities beyond 1 part in 10^18, more than 4 orders of magnitude beyond the state-of-the art. However, while the clock technology is progressing rapidly, there is still a lot to learn about how such a precision can be transferred to the user community in a practical and efficient way. Microwave links, such as used in current satellite time transfers, are impractically slow for such precision, while optical fibre links need expensive dedicated fibre connections and are limited to a few 100 km, making intercontinental connections impractical. In addition, at 10^-18 precision, effects such as general relativity coupling gravity to frequency are coming into play and make the transfer dependent on deformation of the continental plates in Earth tides and larger rain falls.
ICON brings together world leading transportable optical clocks and world leading optical link space infrastructure to explore the limits of precision time transfer. Including work on making transportable clocks more compact and robust with world-leading atom chip concepts, we are aiming at bringing precision time to everyone - first researchers relying on precision oscillators and later in commercial applications for the benefit of wider society.
We are currently facing a revolution in timing accuracy due to the invention of optical clocks and accessible ways of counting optical frequencies, which has already been recognised by the Nobel Price in Physics in 2005. These novel clocks already reach stabilities beyond 1 part in 10^18, more than 4 orders of magnitude beyond the state-of-the art. However, while the clock technology is progressing rapidly, there is still a lot to learn about how such a precision can be transferred to the user community in a practical and efficient way. Microwave links, such as used in current satellite time transfers, are impractically slow for such precision, while optical fibre links need expensive dedicated fibre connections and are limited to a few 100 km, making intercontinental connections impractical. In addition, at 10^-18 precision, effects such as general relativity coupling gravity to frequency are coming into play and make the transfer dependent on deformation of the continental plates in Earth tides and larger rain falls.
ICON brings together world leading transportable optical clocks and world leading optical link space infrastructure to explore the limits of precision time transfer. Including work on making transportable clocks more compact and robust with world-leading atom chip concepts, we are aiming at bringing precision time to everyone - first researchers relying on precision oscillators and later in commercial applications for the benefit of wider society.
Organisations
- University of Birmingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- National Physical Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of Tokyo (Project Partner)
- Technical University of Munich (Project Partner)
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (Project Partner)
- Chronos Technology (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- BT Group (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Publications

Andrea Pertoldi
(2024)
Modular Fiber Laser Platform for Strontium Atomic Clocks

Balsant Shivanand Tiwari
(2022)
Simulation of long-range Interactions with Ultracold Sr in an Optical Lattice

Jordan J. Wayland
(2023)
Development of an Ultra-Stable Clock Laser for Transportable Sr Lattice Clocks

Shengnan Zhang
(2022)
Spectroscopy of 5s5p3P0-5s4d3D1 with cold Sr atoms

Shengnan Zhang
(2022)
Blue-detuned optical lattice for Sr long-range interactions
Description | There are two main objectives of the award- measurements contributing to the re-definition of second and second is optical links between ground stations and space. both ideas have been very well picked up by the metrology community. |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Transport,Other |
Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
Description | POSSIBLE |
Amount | £820,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2023 |
End | 06/2025 |
Description | TOCK |
Amount | € 2,400,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | European Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 04/2023 |
End | 04/2026 |
Description | Possible |
Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This project is about building a transportable clock in which we are the PI. We build atomics package, optics, and integrate the entire system. Both collaborators test and validate the setup. |
Collaborator Contribution | NPL is the CoI and they bring their experience and expertise of metrology. In this particular project they deliver stabilised lasers using dual axis cavity. They also host the final setup at NPL in order to validate it. |
Impact | Not yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | TOCK |
Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Together with NPL, we contribute to the testing and validating our transportable optical lattice clock at NPL. The measurement campaign will be part of the EU wide metrology campaign via fibres. |
Collaborator Contribution | Please see above |
Impact | not yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | EPSRC Centre-to-Centre International Clock & Oscillator Networking (ICON) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The 2023 campaign of optical clock comparison between NPL's strontium lattice clock and transportable clocks from Katori's RIKEN labs (Japan) and PTB Germany, took place at NPL, alongside visits by Katori to Hub partners at Birmingham & Nottingham. Katori is the inventor of the optical lattice clock. The comparison represents one of the necessary criteria to be investigated in preparation for a planned redefinition of the SI second in several years time. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Industry and end user engagement |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | I was invited to give plenary talk at the DSTL symposium in Notting in Nov 2023. The participants consisted of end users, policymakers, academics and industry persons. I also participated in a workshop involving the above category people. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Keynote talk by PG on "Trapped strontium ion space clock development " at EPSRC International Network in Space Technologies INSQT |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | The INSQT Workshop aimed to mobilise the space quantum communities to tackle space engineering challenges of translating terrestrial quantum technologies to space. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Metrology Symposium in Australia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This is a very special metrology symposium which takes place typically once in 7 years. I was invited to chair a session. The symposium also provided an opportunity to network and raise the profile of our group. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | MoSaiQC ESR symposium, 2023, - Copenhagen, Denmark |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation delivered on, 'Towards Development of an Industry-built Ultra-Stable Laser' by my PhD student, Jordan J. Wayland. The other authors for the work are Yuheng Huyan, Abhilash Jha, Yogeshwar B. Kale and Yeshpal Singh. This was a workshop consisted of PhD students, industry partners and academics. The total participation was approx 45. This has raised the profile for the project and our group. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Multiple presentations to EPSRC UK QTNP Hub on Sensors & Timing annual review |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | NPL Presentations were given on microcombs (Jonathan Silver), optical-to-microwave frequency conversion using cavity-stabilised lasers (An Tran), ytterbium microwave clock (Patrick Gill), high accuracy time & frequency transfer from NPL to Birmingham by optical dark fibre link (Jacques-Olivier Gaudron) and the new test & evaluation facility in the NPL Advanced Quantum Metrology Lab (Jacob Tunesi) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | P Gill Member of EPSRC "Airguide Photonics" Programme Technical Advisory Board |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | PG Member of the annual meeting of the EPSRC Airguide Photonics Technical Advisory Board, evaluating technical programme results accruing and advising on the intended planned progress. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.airguide.soton.ac.uk/ |
Description | P Gill Member of the EPSRC NQTP "Sensors & Timing" Hub Management Board |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Monthly NQTP "Sensors & Timing" Management Board meetings, covering governance and output deliverables of the hub programme |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.quantumsensors.org/who-we-are |
Description | QTRi in Thailand |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Keynote speaker as well as panel interviewer at meeting, 'The road to quantum innovation: Quantum Tech Research Initiative (QTRi) 2023', Thailand, Nov 10-11, 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | STS conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The name of the conference is STS (Science and Technology for Society) held in Japan from Oct 2-4, 2023. I represented the QT community. It is one of the most important conferences in the world and participation is only by invitation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | UK Quantum Technology Showcase |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Demonstration of emerging quantum technology instrumentation from NPL and UK Quantum Hub partners to industry, government science departments, politicians, large scale systems companies and SMEs in the photonics, quantum, defence, communications, health and technology sectors. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | colloquium in India |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | I was invited to deliver a University Colloquium, in India. It was organised on the topic 'Ultra cold quantum gases', by Central University of Rajasthan, India, March 15, 2023. The participants were the University staffs, students and general public audiences. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |