Network synchronisation better than 1ns using a frequency comb

光频梳是网络同步和许多其他应用的有价值的技术。他们是商业上可从只有少数供应商，其中没有一个是在英国。在这个项目中，Fiorium有限公司（或NKT Photonics UK）和伯明翰大学的目标是对开发一种新的方法进行可行性研究，该方法使用锁模飞秒激光器和新型光子晶体光纤来产生光学频率梳。这些将结合起来，产生一种理论上完全相干的超连续谱加宽方法，从而将锁模激光器的优异噪声性能转移到倍频程跨越光频梳中。需要进行研究，以了解剩余的噪声以及如何减少噪声，在这里，我们将研究频率抖动降低和绝对频率稳定，以进一步降低噪声，并准备使用在电信系统中，保持定时，从而跟踪每天进出英国的大量数据。

Optical frequency combs are a valuable technology for network synchronisation and many other applications. They are commercially available from only a few vendors, none of whom are in the UK. In this project, In this project, Fianium Ltd (or NKT Photonics UK) and the University of Birmingham aim to make a feasibility study on developing a new method for generating optical frequency combs using a mode-locked femtosecond laser and novel photonic crystal fibre. These will be combined to generate a theoretically fully coherent method for supercontinuum broadening, thereby transferring the excellent noise performance of the mode-locked laser into an octave-spanning optical frequency comb. Research will be needed to understand the remaining noise and how it can be reduced, and here we will investigate both frequency jitter reduction and absolute frequency stabilisation to further minimise the noise and prepare it for use in a telecommunications system, holding timing, and thereby keeping track of the great swaths of data transmitted in and out of the UK daily.