Urban Fiber Link Research Articles

Demonstration of quantum network protocols over a 14-km urban fiber link

We report on the implementation of quantum entanglement distribution and quantum state teleportation over a 14.4 km urban dark-fiber link, which is partially underground, partially overhead, and patched in several stations. We characterize the link for its use as a quantum channel and realize its active polarization stabilization. Using a type-II cavity-enhanced SPDC photon pair source, a 40Ca+ single-ion quantum memory, and quantum frequency conversion to the telecom C-band, we demonstrate photon-photon entanglement, ion-photon entanglement, and teleportation of a qubit state from the ion onto a remote telecom photon, all realized over the urban fiber link.

Optical frequency dissemination via 103-km urban fiber link with remote passive phase stabilization.

In this paper, we propose a technique for a fiber-based optical frequency dissemination system with remote passive phase noise cancellation. At the remote site, a 1×2 fiber pigtailed acousto-optic modulator (AOM) with two diffraction order outputs (0 and -1 order) is employed as the phase-compensated device, the undesired phase noise of fiber link introduced by environmental perturbations are passively canceled at remote sites. Different from other existing schemes, the proposed technique harnesses the benefits of remote radio frequency (RF) independence and low-temperature sensitivity in this noise-suppression configuration. Consequently, the system noise floor of the proposed optical frequency dissemination system achieves 9.44 × 10-21 without requiring a precise remote RF reference, and the phase-temperature coefficient is reduced to about 2 fs/K. A real-world experiment is conducted over a noisy round-trip 103 km urban fiber link. After being passively compensated, we demonstrate a fractional frequency instability of 1.57 × 10-14 at the integration time of 1 s and scales down to 3.96 × 10-20 at 10,000 s in terms of modified Allan deviation. The frequency uncertainty of the retrieved light after transferring through this noise-compensated fiber link relative to that of the input light achieves 1.80 × 10-18. This work demonstrates the system's capability to disseminate the ultra-stable optical frequency standards and is a significant step towards realizing multi-node dissemination of the state-of-the-art optical clock signal with remote noise compensation via a tree-like topology fiber network.

Demonstration of quantum-digital payments

Digital payments have replaced physical banknotes in many aspects of our daily lives. Similarly to banknotes, they should be easy to use, unique, tamper-resistant and untraceable, but additionally withstand digital attackers and data breaches. Current technology substitutes customers’ sensitive data by randomized tokens, and secures the payment’s uniqueness with a cryptographic function, called a cryptogram. However, computationally powerful attacks violate the security of these functions. Quantum technology comes with the potential to protect even against infinite computational power. Here, we show how quantum light can secure daily digital payments by generating inherently unforgeable quantum cryptograms. We implement the scheme over an urban optical fiber link, and show its robustness to noise and loss-dependent attacks. Unlike previously proposed protocols, our solution does not depend on long-term quantum storage or trusted agents and authenticated channels. It is practical with near-term technology and may herald an era of quantum-enabled security.

High-precision optical frequency transfer over a 96 km urban fiber link.

We demonstrated the optical frequency transfer over a 96km urban business network in Shanghai. The key factors affecting the optical frequency transmission system, such as fiber link quality, feedback compensation strength, and out-of-loop fiber temperature variation, are studied for the urban fiber link characteristics. The effective suppression technique of complex urban fiber link noise with different feedback compensation parameters is studied. With active phase noise suppression, the optical frequency stability can reach 1.9×10-16 at 1s and 2.2×10-18 at 10,000s over a 96km urban fiber link. This work potentially plays an important role in optical clock frequency comparison, and it makes a good foundation for future research on long-distance optical frequency transfer over an urban business network.

Fiber-Optic Frequency and Timing Transfer Over an Urban Optical Fiber Link

We have developed a fiber-optic frequency and timing transfer system. It has been installed to provide timing synchronization between NICT and a distant university site connected by a 58-km urban optical fiber link. The timing signal generated at the remote site is derived from a frequency source that is stabilized using the link, and it is synchronized by a transferred timing marker. A second, separate fiber link confirms a timing synchronization uncertainty of 5.7 ns and a 10-MHz frequency instability of less than <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{-16}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{5}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> s averaging time. We additionally demonstrate a timing marker delivery using a code-based signal, which combines nanosecond-level uncertainty with the simplicity and compactness suitable for a system that can be deployed for synchronization across numerous sites.

Stable terahertz wave dissemination over underground fiber network with optical phase correction

We report a phase-stabilized photonic terahertz wave distribution over an urban underground fiber network. The optical carriers of the terahertz signal are generated by filtering out optical spectral lines of an optical frequency comb (OFC). The phase fluctuation due to the optical carriers separation link and fiber link is compensated by an optical phase actuation network, which employs a high-precision voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in the phase-locked loop to drive the acousto-optic frequency shifter (AOFS) for fast phase correction We demonstrated the stabilized transfer of a 1000.04 GHz terahertz signal over a 42 km urban telecom fiber link, and achieved residual phase noise of -37 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset frequency, and the long-term frequency stability at 4000 s averaging time reaches 2 × 10−16. The factors that cause the performance limitations of the photonic terahertz wave distribution system are further analyzed.

Microwave Frequency Dissemination over a 212 km Cascaded Urban Fiber Link with Stability at the 10−18 Level

To synchronize standard frequency signals between long-distance laboratories, we carried out a frequency dissemination experiment over a 212 km cascaded urban fiber link. This cascaded link was composed of two 106 km fiber links, in which the fiber noise was compensated by two microwave frequency dissemination systems. The two adjacent frequency dissemination systems used different frequency transmitted signals, preventing the influence of signal crosstalk between the received signal of the previous stage and the transmitted signal of the second stage caused by microwave signal leakage. The frequency dissemination over the cascaded link showed a dissemination fractional frequency instability of 6.2 × 10−15 at 1 s and 6.4 × 10−18 at 40,000 s, which is better than the transfer stability over the same 212 km single-stage link.

Fiber-optic joint time and frequency transmission with enhanced time precision.

We propose a high-precision joint time and frequency transmission scheme based on bidirectional wavelength division multiplexing transmission over an optical fiber link. The time signal is generated based on the phase-stable frequency signal with employment of a dedicated designed low-jitter event generator. Time synchronization is realized by eliminating the time difference between the time signals of the master and slave stations, which is determined by accurate two-way time comparison. In this way, thanks to the high stability of the frequency transmission, low jitter of the dedicated designed event generator, and the high accuracy of the two-way time comparison, a high precision time signal with enhanced time stability and accuracy can be obtained at the slave station, which is synchronized to the master station. Experimentally, a joint time and frequency transmission system is demonstrated over a 62-km urban fiber link. The results show a time stability in terms of time deviation (TDEV) of 3.5 ps/s and 430 fs/10,000 s, and an accuracy of better than 20 ps can be realized.

Time shifting deviation method enhanced laser interferometry: ultrahigh precision localizing of traffic vibration using an urban fiber link

Using a fiber network as a huge sensing system will enrich monitoring methods of public infrastructures and geological disasters. With the traditional cross-correlation method, a laser interferometer has been used to detect and localize the vibration event. However, the random error induced by the cross-correlation method limits the localization accuracy and makes it not suitable for ultrahigh precision localizing applications. We propose a novel time shifting deviation (TSDEV) method, which has advantages over the cross-correlation method in practicability and localization accuracy. Three experiments are carried out to demonstrate the novelty of the TSDEV method. In a lab test, vibration localization accuracy of ∼ 2.5 m is realized. In field tests, TSDEV method enhanced interferometry is applied to monitor the urban fiber link. Traffic vibration events on the campus road and Beijing ring road have been precisely localized and analyzed, respectively. The proposed technique will extend the function of the existing urban fiber network, and better serve the future smart city.

High-precision dual-wavelength time transfer via1085-km telecommunication fiber link

To reduce the influence of fiber dispersion on accuracy of fiber-based time synchronization, a method of dispersion-error corrected dual-wavelength time synchronization is proposed in this paper. Specificlly, the method is to measure the dispersion coefficient of the fiber link, and then input it to each remote terminal, the time delay error caused by the fiber dispersion is eliminated through the delay phase controller. With the self-developed engineering prototypes, the experimental verifications are subsequently made both in laboratory and real field. Before the test, 16 devices of time synchronization are connected in series for calibration. The time synchronization system is able to keep delay difference within ± 15 ps after being calibrated. In the laboratory, the experimental setup is built by cascading 16 rolls of 50km-long fiber coils, and the total length of the fiber link is 800 km. The experimental results show that the dispersion coefficient of 800 km fiber link is 13.36 ps/(km·nm), and the delay error caused by dispersion is maintained within 10 ps after correction. The stability of the time transfer is 5.7 ps in standard deviation and the time deviation is 1.12 ps at an averaging time of 100000 s. In the real field test, a 1085-km-long field fiber link is utilized, along which 16 self-developed time-frequency transceiversare set at the cascaded fiber-optic stations. After being corrected with a dispersion coefficient of 16.67 ps/(km·nm) for 1085 km urban fiber link, the time transfer is demonstrated to have a dispersion-caused delay error of 60 ps. The experimental results show that the time standard deviation is 18 ps and the time transfer instability is 9.2 ps at an averaging time of 1 s and 5.4 ps at an averaging time of 40000 s. Finally, the time uncertainty of 800-km-long laboratory optical fiber link and 1085-km-long urban optical fiber link are evaluated, and the time uncertainty is 18.4 ps and 63.5 ps, respectively. This work paves the way for constructing the time synchronization fiber network in China. To further reduce the delay error caused by dispersion in a long-distance time transfer link, the more accurate thermal control of the lasers should be adopted to reduce the shifts of forward and backward wavelengths.

Microwave frequency transfer over a 112-km urban fiber link based on electronic phase compensation**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61825505, 91536217, and 61127901).

We demonstrate the transmission of a microwave frequency signal at 10 GHz over a 112-km urban fiber link based on a novel simple-architecture electronic phase compensation system. The key element of the system is the low noise frequency divider by 4 to differentiate the frequency of the forward signal from that of the backward one, thus suppressing the effect of Brillouin backscattering and parasitic reflection along the link. In terms of overlapping Allan deviation, the frequency transfer instability of 4.2 × 10−15 at 1-s integration time and 1.6 × 10−18 at one-day integration time was achieved. In addition, its sensitivity to the polarization mode dispersion in fiber is analyzed by comparing the results with and without laser polarization scrambling. Generally, with simplicity and robustness, the system can offer great potentials in constructing cascaded frequency transfer system and facilitate the building of fiber-based microwave transfer network.

Key technology of high-precision time frequency transfer via 200 km desert urban fiber link

The precise time and frequency signal dissemination has significant applications in scientific research such as baseline interferometry, deep space network and metrology. Aside from satellite based systems, optical fiber has become an attractive alternative medium for transferring time and frequency signals, offering much improved accuracy. For the urban fiber link in the desert environment, there are many complex noise sources, such as temperature change, outdoor wind and ground vibration. Therefore, a systematical study on the noise source and on the noise reduction method in the dessert environment have practical significance. In this paper, we demonstrate a time (1 pps) and frequency signal dissemination and time synchronization system through a 200 km urban fiber in dessert environment. The noise source of the urban fiber under dessert environment is analyzed and studied in detail; the results show that the vibration and temperature shift are the major influencing factors. The vibration of urban fiber can induce the noise in the high Fourier frequency, and the temperature shift of urban fiber can induce the noise at a low Fourier frequency. An optical compensation setup is used, including the optical delay line with temperature controlled and piezoelectric ceramics driving. The phase fluctuation of frequency signal is detected and used to control the feedback of the optical compensating setup. In order to compensate for the fiber loss in a long range, a special bi-directional erbium-doped fiber amplifier is used to regenerate optical signals to achieve the long distance transmission. Then, we study the effective link noise suppression technology under different feedback compensation parameters. The systematic feedback parameters are optimized through using the different system feedback bandwidths, feedback intensities, optical power and other key parameters. The optimized systematic feedback parameters are obtained via the careful experimental observation and discussion. With the optimized systematic feedback parameters, experimental results show that the frequency stabilities are up to 8 × 10&lt;sup&gt;–14&lt;/sup&gt; at 1 s and 1 × 10&lt;sup&gt;–16&lt;/sup&gt; at 1000 s, and time stabilities are up to 1.2 ps in an average time of 10&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; s. The phase stabilized transmission of hydrogen clock signal in the 200 km level desert environment urban fiber link is realized. The verification experiment plays an important role in measuring the satellite orbit based on a connected elements’ interferometry. The relevant study result is of significance for improving the precision of time and frequency signal dissemination in the dessert environmental urban fiber.

Stabilized Radio Frequency Transfer via 100 km Urban Optical Fiber Link Using Passive Compensation Method

A point to point stable radio frequency (RF) signal transfer scheme is proposed and experimentally demonstrated via 100 km noisy urban optical fiber link in Beijing area. We utilize passive frequency mixing method to compensate the variations of the group delay in the optical fiber link. Undistinguished backscattering noise is effectively suppressed by using only two sets of optical transceivers operating on different wavelengths. At the same time, an auxiliary RF signal is employed to accomplish the phase conjugation and effectively eliminate the influence of intrinsic nonlinearity in the mixers. The configuration of dispersion compensation and optical amplification is optimized due to the high loss (31 dB) of this fiber link. To carry out the field trial, two prototype modules are fabricated consisting of devices of the transmitting site and receiving site. The measured fractional frequency instability (Allan deviation) of the 2.4 GHz RF transmission system is $6.3\times 10^{-14}/1$ s and $5.0\times 10^{-17}/10^{4}$ s, which is superior to that of the reference rubidium clock. The experimental result proves that our frequency transfer system is capable for operating on the underground fiber link and valuable for further applications, such as remote atomic clock comparison.

Coherent Transfer of Optical Frequency over 112 km with Instability at the 10−20 Level**Supported by the Special Fund for Major Scientific Equipment and Instrument Development of the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61127901, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 10225417, 11273024, 61025023 and 91636101, the Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural

We demonstrate optical-carrier transfer over a 112-km single-span urban fiber link. By actively compensating the phase noise induced along the fiber link, a noise suppression of 55 dB at 1 Hz is obtained. A fractional frequency instability of 2.5 × 10−16 at 1s is achieved, and reaching 7.5 × 10−20 at 10000 s. The system is stable and able to run for a long time. This work will contribute to optical frequency distribution and remote comparison among atomic clocks.

Coherence transfer of subhertz-linewidth laser light via an 82-km fiber link

We demonstrate optical coherence transfer of subhertz-linewidth laser light through fiber links by actively compensating random fiber phase noise induced by environmental perturbations. The relative linewidth of laser light after transferring through a 32-km urban fiber link is suppressed within 1 mHz (resolution bandwidth limited), and the absolute linewidth of the transferred laser light is less than 0.36 Hz. For an 82-km fiber link, a repeater station is constructed between a 32-km urban fiber and a 50-km spooled fiber to recover the spectral purity. A relative linewidth of 1 mHz is also demonstrated for light transferring through the 82-km cascaded fiber. Such an optical signal distribution network based on repeater stations allows optical coherence and synchronization available over spatially separated places.

All-optical link for direct comparison of distant optical clocks

We developed an all-optical link system for making remote comparisons of two distant ultra-stable optical clocks. An optical carrier transfer system based on a fiber interferometer was employed to compensate the phase noise accumulated during the propagation through a fiber link. Transfer stabilities of 2 × 10(-15) at 1 second and 4 × 10(-18) at 1000 seconds were achieved in a 90-km link. An active polarization control system was additionally introduced to maintain the transmitted light in an adequate polarization, and consequently, a stable and reliable comparison was accomplished. The instabilities of the all-optical link system, including those of the erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) which are free from phase-noise compensation, were below 2 × 10(-15) at 1 second and 7 × 10(-17) at 1000 seconds. The system was available for the direct comparison of two distant (87)Sr lattice clocks via an urban fiber link of 60 km. This technique will be essential for the measuring the reproducibility of optical frequency standards.

Long-term stable frequency transfer over an urban fiber link using microwave phase stabilization

We report a novel technique for highly stable transfer of a frequency comb over long optical fiber link. The technique implements an electronic compensation loop to cancel out the phase fluctuations that is introduced by the fiber. We utilized this technique to transfer a stable microwave frequency through a 20 km urban fiber link and an 80 km open air fiber link respectively. For the 20 km urban fiber link, the active compensation system reduced the phase fluctuation from 75 mrad (118 ps) to 4 mrad (6.3 ps) in 48 hours, and the frequency stability was improved by three orders of magnitude. For the 80 km open air fiber link, the active compensation system reduced the rms phase fluctuation from 580 mrad (914 ps) to 10 mrad (16 ps) in 24 hours, and the frequency stability was improved by two orders of magnitude.

Coherent microwave transfer over a 204-km telecom fiber link by a cascaded system

We have demonstrated a microwave transfer over a 204-km noisy urban fiber link by a cascaded system with 2 stages, which connected 10-GHz and 1-GHz transfer systems in series. A diurnal phase-noise cancellation ratio of 45 dB was obtained by use of an electronic phase-noise compensation system. Additionally, the stabilities reached 6 x 10(-14) at 1 s and 5 x 10(-17) at one-half day, which agreed with the root-sum-square of those of the 10-GHz and 1-GHz transfers. We verified for the first time that the transfer stability degrades only square root N times in a cascaded system with N stages.

Timing jitter reduction over 20-km urban fiber by compensating harmonic phase difference of locked femtosecond comb

A novel timing jitter reduction system over a round trip 20-km urban fiber link is reported. The phase difference of the ninth harmonic of a high-repetition-rate mode-locked laser between the local and the returned signals is obtained. Based on the phase difference, the system uses an optical delay line (ODL) to compensate the optical fiber link. The root-mean-square (RMS) timing jitter is reduced from 50 to 8.9 ps in 80 min.

Stable radio frequency transfer in 114 km urban optical fiber link

An rf dissemination system using an optical fiber link has been developed. The phase noise induced during optical fiber transmission has been successfully cancelled using what we believe to be a novel fiber-noise compensation system with a combination of electrical and optical compensations. We have performed rf transfer in a 114 km urban telecom fiber link in Tokyo with a transfer stability of 10(-18) level at an averaging time of 1 day. Additionally, a high degree of continuous operation robustness has been confirmed.