NIST has developed a new system called PEACOCS that could revolutionize the way atomic clocks on Earth and satellites communicate. PEACOCS uses a Nobel Prize-winning technology called the frequency comb, which acts like an exact ruler to measure light frequencies.
The key innovation in PEACOCS is using two frequency combs at either end of the signal path, reducing the number of photons needed to nearly zero. This allows the system to send time signals over much longer distances, potentially hundreds of kilometers, even from moving platforms like satellites.
Researchers have successfully tested PEACOCS over a 2-kilometer outdoor range at NIST’s campus in Boulder, Colorado. The system performed well even in turbulent air conditions, and further testing is underway to expand its capabilities.
Keywords: Frequency Comb, Photon Efficiency, Atomic Clocks, Time Signals, Quantum Metrology
