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.
 
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