Compact, high-performance optical clockwork for quantum timing

Vescent Photonics, LLC (Vescent) in collaboration with MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT-LL) proposes to develop a compact, low-phase-noise optical frequency comb (OFC) stabilized to a novel, fiber-based, ultra-narrow linewidth reference laser that will meet the Air Force’s needs for a high performance, fieldable clock. OFCs are a core tool of quantum timing, enabling a range of new technologies critical to the U.S. Air Force, including but not limited to optical atomic clocks, free-space time transfer in GPS denied environments, and low phase-noise microwave sources for time dissemination and sensitive radar detection.  However, to construct an OFC with the absolute phase stability required for these applications, the OFC must be stabilized to an ultra-narrow linewidth reference laser.  MIT-LL has demonstrated a compact, ultra-narrow linewidth, low drift fiber laser based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) that was used to successfully interrogate a 88Sr+ optical clock.  The technique is easily adaptable to any visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelength and has significant potential to replace lasers locked to ULE cavities as a low SWaP-C reference laser for fieldable OFCs and optical clocks. Vescent, in partnership with MIT-LL, proposes to develop and commercialize a narrow linewidth SBS laser at 1556 nm and use the laser to fully stabilize a low SWaP-C, portable OFC for use in low-noise X-band microwave generation, high-fidelity time transfer, and ultra-stable optical atomic clocks.