Ultralow phase noise Microwave Oscillators and Atomic Clocks

Reference oscillators and clocks are essential elements in almost all electronic systems and consumer and professional products as the phase noise, jitter and stability of these oscillators usually sets the ultimate performance limit.
High performance oscillators, exhibiting low phase noise, are required in communications, control, RADAR & navigation systems & also as flywheel oscillators for atomic clocks, optical clocks, accelerator & Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) systems.
The aim of this research is to develop new ultralow phase noise microwave oscillators. Initially this will concentrate on oscillators operating around 10 to 16GHz. Key aims will be to develop oscillators with phase noise less than -180dBc at 10kHz offset and noise floors approaching -200dBc (at 10GHz).
The oscillators require the development of new ultralow residual phase noise medium power amplifiers (200mW - 5W) with flicker noise corners below 1kHz and ultrahigh Q resonators using distributed Bragg resonators with Qs around and above 200,000. Narrowband electronic tuning and medium bandwith course tuning will be developed. Later aims will be to develop oscillators operating in the 1 to 10GHz range.
These oscillators will then be used in atomic clocks to improve both the short and long term frequency stability.
Companies and research organization involved with this research work at York include: Keysight, Teledyne-e2V, Leonardo, Daresbury Research Laboratories and NPL.