Interface for quantum clock links – IQ-CLIK

量子时钟链路接口 – IQ-CLIK

• 批准号: 10010836
• 金额: $ 23.08万
• 依托单位: BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10010836
• 关键词: Interface; quantum; clock; links; IQ

Precision timing is key to all aspects of modern infrastructure, from the national grid, to telecommunications, to financial trading, through to global, national, and individual navigation systems. In the case of telecommunications, a suitable timing network for synchronisation is crucial.Optical atomic clocks, frequently referred to as "quantum clocks", can provide timing with unprecedented accuracy and stability with improvements of several orders of magnitude when compared to any currently available commercial clock. In order to harness the extreme accuracy and stability for timing and communication infrastructure, the output signal needs to be converted as loss-less as possible into signals commonly used in telecommunication networks.To address this challenge, in IQ-CLIK, we investigate the performance of a clock-to-network interface in conjunction with a state-of-the art transportable optical atomic clock and a telecom fibre link of several kilometres of length. Additional modelling of sub-nanosecond quantum clock-assisted time dissemination will allows us to understand the scalability and costs involved in integrating such technology into national timing and communication infrastructure.As 5G has approached the limit for network timing with current technology, a new approach is needed to meet future network applications. Hence, our project IQ-CLIK will help guiding the way to using optical atomic clocks in communication networks to provide improved network timing precision. Not only does our study explore the feasibility of quantum-supported network timing for beyond-5G networks in the long term, but it also provides the short to medium term benefits of precision timing links for a resilient critical national infrastructure. This way, the UK's immunity to the loss of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) due to unfavourable space weather or large-scale man-made interferences could be dramatically boosted.

精确计时是现代基础设施各个方面的关键，从国家电网到电信、金融交易，再到全球、国家和个人导航系统。就电信而言，一个合适的同步计时网络至关重要。光学原子钟，通常被称为“量子钟”，可以提供前所未有的精确度和稳定性，与目前任何可用的商业时钟相比，它的计时性能提高了几个数量级。为了利用计时和通信基础设施的极高精度和稳定性，需要将输出信号尽可能无损地转换为电信网络中常用的信号。为了解决这一挑战，在IQ-CLIK中，我们研究了时钟到网络接口的性能，以及最先进的可传输光学原子钟和几公里长的电信光纤链路。对亚纳秒量子时钟辅助时间传播的额外建模将使我们了解将此类技术整合到国家计时和通信基础设施中所涉及的可扩展性和成本。由于5G已经接近当前技术对网络计时的限制，需要一种新的方法来满足未来的网络应用。因此，我们的IQ-CLIK项目将帮助指导在通信网络中使用光学原子钟的方法，以提供更高的网络计时精度。我们的研究不仅探索了量子支持的网络计时在长期内适用于Beyond-5G网络的可行性，还为具有弹性的关键国家基础设施提供了精确计时链路的中短期好处。这样，英国因不利的太空天气或大规模人为干扰而失去全球导航卫星系统(GNSS)的免疫力可能会大幅提高。