Strontium optical lattice clock at the National Time Service Center

We report the 87Sr optical lattice clock developed at the National Time Service Center. We achieved a closed-loop operation of the optical lattice clock based on 87Sr atoms. The linewidth of the spin-polarized clock peak is 3.9 Hz with a clock laser pulse length of 300 ms, which corresponds to a Fourier-limited linewidth of 3 Hz. The fitting of the in-loop error signal data shows that the instability is approximately 5 × 10 15τ-1/2, affected primarily by the white noise. The fractional frequency difference averages down to 5.7 × 10 ^-17 for an averaging time of 3000 s.

A transportable optical lattice clock at the National Time Service Center

We report a transportable one-dimensional optical lattice clock based on 87Sr at the National Time Service Center.The transportable apparatus consists of a compact vacuum system and compact optical subsystems.The vacuum system with a size of 90 cm×20 cm×42 cm and the beam distributors are assembled on a double-layer optical breadboard.The modularized optical subsystems are integrated on independent optical breadboards.By using a 230 ms clock laser pulse,spin-polarized spectroscopy with a linewidth of 4.8 Hz is obtained which is close to the 3.9 Hz Fourier-limit linewidth.The time interleaved self-comparison frequency instability is determined to be 6.3 × 10^-17 at an averaging time of 2000 s.

Time Transfer in a 1839-km Telecommunication Fiber Link Demonstrating a Picosecond-Scale Stability

An implementation of high-precision time transfer over a 1839-km field fiber loop back link between two provincial capitals of China,Xi’an and Taiyuan,is reported.Time transfer stabilities of 6.5 ps at averaging time of 1 s and 4.6 ps at 40000 s were achieved.The uncertainty for the time transfer system was evaluated,showing a budget of 56.2 ps.These results stand for a significant milestone in achieving high-precision time transfer over a field fiber link spanning thousands of kilometers,signifying a record-breaking achievement for the real-field time transfer in both stability and distance,which paves the way for constructing the nationwide high-precision time service via fiber network.

Wiener Filtration Algorithm of an Ensemble Pulsar Timescale Based on a Power-law Model of Pulsar Power Spectrum

An ensemble pulsar timescale derived from the traditional Wiener filtration still contains some high level noise.To improve this situation we developed a Wiener filtration algorithm of the ensemble pulsar timescale based on a power-law model of power spectrum for pulsars.Our algorithm has three strengths:(1)mitigating spectral leakage between frequency bins for Fourier techniques;(2)using a power-law model for power spectrum;(3)signal realization in original residuals of data set by the power-law model.According to improved algorithm we constructed an ensemble pulsar timescale EPT-TAI using timing data with respect to International Atomic Time(TAI)about 16 yr time span of ten pulsars from International Pulsar Timing Array second data release(version A).The results show that EPT-TAI detected correctly the differences TT(BIPM2015)-TAI between terrestrial time TT(BIPM2015)and TAI.Fractional frequency stabilityσzanalysis shows that EPT-TAI does not indicate red noise for 16 yr time interval,and fractional frequency stability for 8 yr and longer time intervals is slightly better than that of TT(BIPM2015)-TAI.Stability for short time intervals of TT(BIPM2015)-TAI is better than that of EPT-TAI,but TT(BIPM2015)-TAI shows red noise for longer time intervals.Using the same algorithm we also derived an ensemble pulsar timescale EPT-TT(BIPM2015)with respect to TT(BIPM2015).The fractional frequency stability curve of EPT-TT(BIPM2015)shows similar characteristics as that of EPT-TAI but with slightly lower values.

Residual Phase Noise and Time Jitters of Single-Chip Digital Frequency Dividers

In this paper, we demonstrate the residual phase noise of a few microwave frequency dividers which usually limit the performance of frequency synthesizers. In order to compare these dividers under different operation frequencies, we calculate additional time jitters of these dividers by using the measured phase noise. The time jitters are various from -0.1 fs to 43 fs in a bandwidth from 1 Hz to 100 Hz in dependent of models and operation frequencies. The HMC series frequency dividers exhibit outstanding performance for high operation frequencies, and the time jitters can be sub-fs. The time jitters of SP8401, MC10EP139, and MC100LVEL34 are comparable or even below that of HMC series for low operation frequencies.

Reconciliation of Theoretical Lifetimes of the 5s5p^(3)P_(2)^(o) Metastable State for ^(88)Sr with Measurement: The Role of the Blackbody-Radiation-Induced Decay

We conducted measurement and calculation to resolve the long-standing large discrepancy in the metastable state lifetime for the ^(88)Sr atom between theoretical and experimental results. The present lifetime τ = 830_(-240)^(+600)s,measured using the magneto-optical trap as a photon amplifier to detect the weak decay events, is approximately60% larger than the previous experimental value τ = 520_(-140)^(+310)s. By considering the electron correlation effects in the framework of the multiconfiguration Dirac–Hartree–Fock theory, we obtained a theoretical lifetime of 1079(54) s, which lies in the range of measurements with error bars. Furthermore, we considered the higher-order electron correlation and Breit interaction to control the uncertainty of the theoretical calculation. The significant improvement in the agreement between calculations and measurements is attributed to the updated blackbody radiation-induced decay rate.

The application of co-integration theory in ensemble pulsar timescale algorithm

Employing multiple pulsars and using an appropriate algorithm to establish ensemble pulsar timescale can reduce the influences of various noises on the long-term stability of pulsar timescale,compared to a single pulsar.However,due to the low timing precision and significant red noises of some pulsars,their participation in the construction of ensemble pulsar timescale is often limited.Inspired by the principle of solving non-stationary sequence modeling using co-integration theory,we put forward an algorithm based on co-integration theory to establish an ensemble pulsar timescale.It is found that this algorithm can effectively suppress some noise sources if a co-integration relationship between different pulsar data exists.Different from the classical weighted average algorithm,the co-integration method provides the chance for a pulsar with significant red noises to be included in the establishment of an ensemble pulsar timescale.Based on data from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves(NANOGrav),we found that the co-integration algorithm can successfully reduce several timing noises and improve the long-term stability of the ensemble pulsar timescale.

Enhanced Spin Depolarization and Storage Time in a Rb Vapor

The experiment of measuring the spin depolarized time and light storage time in a Rb vapor under different conditions is performed. Typically, these measurements are accomplished in three different containers： atoms in a bare glass cell, atoms in a buffer gas cell, and atoms in a tetracontane （C4oH82） coating cell. The increasing depolarization and storage times are observed in both the buffer gas cell and the tetracontane coating cell. In the latter case, a storage time greater than 400μs is obtained.

Robust Transfer of Optical Frequency over 500km Fiber Link with Instability of 10^(−21)

Our primary objective is to mitigate the adverse effects of temperature fluctuations on the optical frequency transmission system by reducing the length of the interferometer.Following optimization,the phase-temperature coefficient of the optical system is reduced to approximately 1.35 fs/K.By applying a sophisticated temperature control to the remained“out-of-loop”optics fiber,the noise floor of the system has been effectively lowered to 10−21 level.Based on this performance-enhanced transfer system,we demonstrate coherent transmission of optical frequency through 500-km spooled fiber link.After being actively compensated,the transfer instability of 4.5×10^(−16) at the averaging time of 1 s and 5.6×10^(−21) at 10000 s is demonstrated.The frequency uncertainty of received light at remote site relative to that of the origin light at local site is achieved to be 1.15×10^(−19).This enhanced system configuration is particularly well suited for future long-distance frequency transmission and comparison of the most advanced optical clock signals.

Optical storage of circular airy beam in atomic vapor

The realization of quantum storage of spatial light field is of great significance to the construction of high-dimensional quantum repeater.In this paper,we experimentally realize the storage and retrieval of circular Airy beams(CABs)by using theΛ-type three-level energy system based on the electromagnetically induced transparency in a hot rubidium atomic vapor cell.The weak probe beam field is modulated with phase distribution of CABs by a spatial light modulator.We store the probe circular Airy beam(CAB)into the rubidium atomic vapor cell and retrieve it after the demanded delay.We quantitatively analyze the storage results and give corresponding theoretical explanations.Moreover,we investigate the autofocusing and self-healing effect of the retrieved CAB,which indicates that the properties and beam shape of CAB maintain well after storage.Our work will have potential applications in the storage of high-dimensional quantum information,and is also useful for improving the channel capacities of quantum internet.

Spatial quantum coherent modulation with perfect hybrid vector vortex beam based on atomic medium

The perfect hybrid vector vortex beam(PHVVB)with helical phase wavefront structure has aroused significant concern in recent years,as its beam waist does not expand with the topological charge(TC).In this work,we investigate the spatial quantum coherent modulation effect with PHVVB based on the atomic medium,and we observe the absorption characteristic of the PHVVB with different TCs under variant magnetic fields.We find that the transmission spectrum linewidth of PHVVB can be effectively maintained regardless of the TC.Still,the width of transmission peaks increases slightly as the beam size expands in hot atomic vapor.This distinctive quantum coherence phenomenon,demonstrated by the interaction of an atomic medium with a hybrid vector-structured beam,might be anticipated to open up new opportunities for quantum coherence modulation and accurate magnetic field measurement.

Pathfinding Pulsar Observations with the CVN Incorporating the FAST

The importance of Very Long Baseline Interferometry(VLBI)for pulsar research is becoming increasingly prominent and receiving more and more attention.We present the pathfinding pulsar observation results with the Chinese VLBI Network(CVN)incorporating the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST).On MJD 60045(11th April 2023),PSRs B0919+06 and B1133+16 were observed with the phase-referencing mode in the L-band using four radio telescopes(FAST,TianMa,Haoping,and Nanshan)and correlated with the pulsar binning mode of the distributed FX-style software correlator in Shanghai.After further data processing with the NRAO Astronomical Image Processing System(AIPS),we detected these two pulsars and fitted their current positions with accuracy at the milliarcsecond level.By comparison,our results show significantly better agreement with predicted values based on historical VLBI observations than those with previous timing observations,as pulsar astrometry with the VLBI provides a more direct and model-independent method for accurately obtaining related parameters.

A Positioning System based on Communication Satellites and the Chinese Area Positioning System(CAPS)

The Chinese Area Positioning System （CAPS） is a positioning system based on satellite communication that is fundamentally different from the 3＂G＂ （GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO） systems. The latter use special-purpose navigation satellites to broadcast navigation information generated on-board to users, while the CAPS transfers ground-generated navigation information to users via the communication satellite. In order to achieve accurate Positioning, Velocity and Time （PVT）, the CAPS employs the following strategies to over- come the three main obstacles caused by using the communication satellite： （a） by real-time following-up frequency stabilization to achieve stable frequency; （b） by using a single carrier in the transponder with 36 MHz band-width to gain sufficient power; （c） by incorporating Decommissioned Geostationary Orbit communication satellite （DGEO）, barometric pressure and Inclined Geostationary Orbit communication satellite （IGSO） to achieve the 3-D posi- tioning. Furthermore, the abundant transponders available on DGEO can be used to realize the large capacity of communication as well as the integrated navigation and communication. With the communication functions incorporated, five new functions appear in the CAPS： （1） combination of navigation and communication; （2） combination of navigation and high accu- racy orbit measurement; （3） combination of navigation message and wide/local area differen- tial processing; （4） combination of the switching of satellites, frequencies and codes; and （5） combination of the navigation message and the barometric altimetry. The CAPS is thereby labelled a PVT5C system of high accuracy. In order to validate the working principle and the performance of the CAPS, a trial system was established in the course of two years at a cost of about 20 million dollars. The trial constellation consists of two GEO satellites located at E87.5° and E110.5°, two DGEOs located at E130° and E142°, as well as barometric altimetry as a virtual satellite. Static and dynamic performance tests were completed for the Eastern, the Western, the Northern, the Southern and the Middle regions of China. The evaluation results are as follows： （1） land static test, plane accuracy range： C/A code, 15-25 m; P code, 5-10 meters; altitude accuracy range, 1- m; （2） land dynamic test, plane accuracy range, C/A code, 15-25 m; P code, 8-10m; （3） velocity accuracy, C/A code, 0.13-0.3 m s-1, P code, 0.15-0.17 m s- 1; （4） timing accuracy, C/A code, 160 ns, P code, 13 ns; （5） timing compared accuracy of Two Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer （TWSTFT）, average accuracy, 0.068 ns; （6） random error of the satellite ranging, 10.7 mm; （7） orbit determination accuracy, better than 2 m. The above stated random error is 1σ error. At present, this system is used as a preliminary operational system and a complete system with 3 GEO, 3 DGEO and 3 IGSO is being established.

A long-term frequency-stabilized erbium-fiber-laser-based optical frequency comb with an intra-cavity electro-optic modulator

We demonstrate an optical frequency comb based on an erbium-doped-fiber femtosecond laser with the nonlinear polarization evolution scheme. The repetition rate of the laser is about 209 MHz. By controlling an intra-cavity electro- optic modulator and a piezo-transducer, the repetition rate can be stabilized with a high-bandwidth servo in a frequency range of 3 kHz, enabling long-term repetition rate phase-locking. The in-loop frequency stability of repetition rate is about 1.6× 10-13 in an integration time of 1 s, limited by the measurement system; and it is inversely proportional to integration time in the short term. Furthermore, using a common path f-2f interferometer, the carrier envelope offset frequency of the comb is obtained with a signal-to-noise ratio of 40 dB in a 3-MHz resolution bandwidth. Stabilized cartier envelope offset frequency exhibits a deviation of 0.6 mHz in an integration time of 1 s.

Femtosecond Laser Pulses for Drilling the Shaped Micro-Hole of Turbine Blades

We design a set of processing devices to drill the shaped holes of turbine blades by using a femtosecond laser which outputs 1064 nm 5 W pulses at 100 kHz,investigate the mechanism of the femtosecond laser interaction with metals,and demonstrate that ultrafast laser drilling has distinct strong points against electric spark and longer laser pulse processing.The advantages related to no recast layer,no thermal effect,no micro crack,high precision,and high processing efficiency are carried out.

Prediction of length-of-day using extreme learning machine

Traditional artificial neural networks （ANN） such as back-propagation neural networks （BPNN） provide good predictions of length-of-day （LOD）. However, the determination of network topology is difficult and time consuming. Therefore, we propose a new type of neural network, extreme learning machine （ELM）, to improve the efficiency of LOD predictions. Earth orientation parameters （EOP） C04 time-series provides daily values from International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service （IERS）, which serves as our database. First, the known predictable effects that can be described by functional models-such as the effects of solid earth, ocean tides, or seasonal atmospheric variations--are removed a priori from the C04 time-series. Only the residuals after the subtraction of a priori model from the observed LOD data （i.e., the irregular and quasi-periodic variations） are employed for training and predictions. The predicted LOD is the sum of a prior extrapolation model and the ELM predictions of the residuals. Different input patterns are discussed and compared to optimize the network solution. The prediction results are analyzed and compared with those obtained by other machine learning-based prediction methods, including BPNN, generalization regression neural networks （GRNN）, and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference systems （ANFIS）. It is shown that while achieving similar prediction accuracy, the developed method uses much less training time than other methods. Furthermore, to conduct a direct comparison with the existing prediction tech- niques, the mean-absolute-error （MAE） from the proposed method is compared with that from the EOP prediction comparison campaign （EOP PCC）. The results indicate that the accuracy of the proposed method is comparable with that of the former techniques. The implementation of the proposed method is simple.

Demonstration of a Sub-Sampling Phase Lock Loop Based Microwave Source for Reducing Dick Effect in Atomic Clocks

We demonstrate a simple scheme of 6.835 GHz microwave source based on the sub-sampling phase lock loop(PLL). A dielectric resonant oscillator of 6.8 GHz is directly phase locked to an ultra-low phase noise 100 MHz oven controlled crystal oscillator(OCXO) utilizing the sub-sampling PLL. Then the 6.8 GHz is mixed with 35 MHz from an direct digital synthesizer(DDS) which is also referenced to the 100 MHZ OCXO to generate the final6.835 GHz signal. Benefiting from the sub-sampling PLL, the processes of frequency multiplication, which are usually necessary in the development of a microwave source, are greatly simplified. The architecture of the microwave source is pretty simple. Correspondingly, its power consumption and cost are low. The absolute phase noises of the 6.835 GHz output signal are-47 d Bc/Hz,-77 dBc/Hz,-104 dBc/Hz and-121 dBc/Hz at1 Hz, 10 Hz, 100 Hz and 1 kHz offset frequencies, respectively. The frequency stability limited by the phase noise through the Dick effect is theoretically estimated to be better than 5.0 × 10^-14τ^1/2 when it is used as the local oscillator of the Rb atomic clocks. This low phase noise microwave source can also be used in other experiments of precision measurement physics.

Pulsar timing observations with Haoping Radio Telescope

We report pulsar timing observations carried out in L-band with NTSC’s 40-meter Haoping Radio Telescope(HRT),which was constructed in 2014.These observations were carried out using the pulsar machine we developed.Timing observations toward millisecond pulsar J0437–4715 obtain a timing residual(r.m.s.)of 397 ns in the time span of 284 days.Our observations successfully detected Crab pulsar’s glitch that happened on 2019 July 23.

The spiral structure of the Milky Way

The morphology and kinematics of the spiral structure of the Milky Way are long-standing problems in astrophysics.In this review we firstly summarize various methods with different tracers used to solve this puzzle.The astrometry of Galactic sources is gradually alleviating this difficult situation caused mainly by large distance uncertainties, as we can currently obtain accurate parallaxes(a few μas) and proper motions(≈1 km s-1) by using Very Long Baseline Interferometry(VLBI).On the other hand, the Gaia mission is providing the largest, uniform sample of parallaxes for O-type stars in the entire Milky Way.Based upon the VLBI maser and Gaia O-star parallax measurements, nearby spiral structures of the Perseus, Local, Sagittarius and Scutum Arms are determined in unprecedented detail.Meanwhile, we estimate fundamental Galactic parameters of the distance to the Galactic center,R0, to be 8.35 ± 0.18 kpc, and circular rotation speed at the Sun, Θ0, to be 240±10 km s-1.We found kinematic differences between O stars and interstellar masers: the O stars, on average, rotate faster,>8 km s-1than maser-traced high-mass star forming regions.

Precision frequency measurement of 1^S0–3^P1 intercombination lines of Sr isotopes

We report on frequency measurement of the intercombination（5s^2）^1S0–（5s5p）^3P1transition of the four natural isotopes of strontium, including88^Sr（82.58%）,87^Sr（7.0%）,86^Sr（9.86%）, and84^Sr（0.56%）. A narrow-linewidth laser that is locked to an ultra-low expansion（ULE） optical cavity with a finesse of 12000 is evaluated at a linewidth of 200 Hz with a fractional frequency drift of 2.8×10^-13 at an integration time of 1 s. The fluorescence collector and detector are specially designed, based on a thermal atomic beam. Using a double-pass acousto-optic modulator（AOM） combined with a fiber and laser power stabilization configuration to detune the laser frequency enables high signal-to-noise ratios and precision saturated spectra to be obtained for the six transition lines, which allows us to determine the transition frequency precisely.The optical frequency is measured using an optical frequency synthesizer referenced to an H maser. Both the statistical values and the final values, including the corrections and uncertainties, are derived for a comparison with the values given in other works.