Review of satellite disciplined clock system

Satellite disciplined clock system(SDCS)composed of satellite timing receiver and local frequency synthesis is widely applied for its high accuracy and low cost.This paper provides a review of SDCS.Key technologies such as phase difference measurement,pulse noise process and frequency calibration are surveyed in detail.Disciplined clock model based on PI controller is built and disciplined process is analyzed.The methods of realizing the disciplined clock circuit are classified and summarized.A prototype based on FPGA is proposed.At last development trend of SDCS is discussed.

A frequency servo SoC with output power stabilization loop technology for miniaturized atomic clocks

A frequency servo system-on-chip(FS-SoC)featuring output power stabilization technology is introduced in this study for high-precision and miniaturized cesium(Cs)atomic clocks.The proposed power stabilization loop(PSL)technique,incorporating an off-chip power detector(PD),ensures that the output power of the FS-SoC remains stable,mitigating the impact of power fluctuations on the atomic clock's stability.Additionally,a one-pulse-per-second(1PPS)is employed to syn-chronize the clock with GPS.Fabricated using 65 nm CMOS technology,the measured phase noise of the FS-SoC stands at-69.5 dBc/Hz@100 Hz offset and-83.9 dBc/Hz@1 kHz offset,accompanied by a power dissipation of 19.7 mW.The Cs atomic clock employing the proposed FS-SoC and PSL obtains an Allan deviation of 1.7×10^(-11) with 1-s averaging time.

Integrated, reliable laser system for an ^(87)Rb cold atom fountain clock

We designed, assembled, and tested a reliable laser system for ^(87)Rb cold atom fountain clocks. The laser system is divided into four modules according to function, which are convenient for installing, adjusting, maintaining, and replacing of the modules. In each functional module, all optical components are fixed on a baseplate with glue and screws, ensuring the system's structural stability. Mechanical stability was verified in a 6.11g RMS randomvibration test, where the change in output power before and after vibration was less than 5%. Thermal stability was realized by optimizing of the structure and appropriate selection of component materials of the modules through thermal simulation. In the laser splitting and output module, the change in laser power was less than 20% for each fiber in thermal cycles from 5℃ to 43℃. Finally,the functionality of the laser system was verified for a rubidium fountain clock.

A combined magnetic field stabilization system for improving the stability of 40Ca^(+) optical clock

Future applications of portable40Ca^(+)optical clocks require reliable magnetic field stabilization to improve frequency stability, which can be achieved by implementing an active and passive magnetic field noise suppression system. On the one hand, we have optimized the magnetic shielding performance of the portable optical clock by reducing its apertures and optimizing its geometry;on the other hand, we have introduced an active magnetic field noise suppression system to further suppress the magnetic field noise experienced by the ions. These efforts reduced the ambient magnetic field noise by about 10000 times, significantly reduced the linewidth of the clock transition spectrum, improved the stability of the portable40Ca+optical clock, and created the conditions for using portable optical clocks in non-laboratory magnetic field environments. This active magnetic field suppression scheme has the advantages of simple installation and wide applicability.

MEMS Huygens Clock Based on Synchronized Micromechanical Resonators

With the continuous miniaturization of electronic devices,microelectromechanical system(MEMS)oscillators that can be combined with integrated circuits have attracted increasing attention.This study reports a MEMS Huygens clock based on the synchronization principle,comprising two synchronized MEMS oscillators and a frequency compensation system.The MEMS Huygens clock improved shorttime stability,improving the Allan deviation by a factor of 3.73 from 19.3 to 5.17 ppb at 1 s.A frequency compensation system based on the MEMS oscillator’s temperature-frequency characteristics was developed to compensate for the frequency shift of the MEMS Huygens clock by controlling the resonator current.This effectively improved the long-term stability of the oscillator,with the Allan deviation improving by 1.6343105 times to 30.9 ppt at 6000 s.The power consumption for compensating both oscillators simultaneously is only 2.85 mW·℃^(-1).Our comprehensive solution scheme provides a novel and precise engineering solution for achieving high-precision MEMS oscillators and extends synchronization applications in MEMS.

Physics package based on intracavity laser cooling ^(87)Rb atoms for space cold atom microwave clock

This article proposes a new physics package to enhance the frequency stability of the space cold atom clock with the advantages of a microgravity environment. Clock working processes, including atom cooling, atomic state preparation,microwave interrogation, and transition probability detection, are integrated into the cylindrical microwave cavity to achieve a high-performance and compact physics package for the space cold atom clock. We present the detailed design and ground-test results of the cold atom clock physics package in this article, which demonstrates a frequency stability of 1.2×10^(-12) τ^(-1/2) with a Ramsey linewidth of 12.5 Hz, and a better performance is predicted with a 1 Hz or a narrower Ramsey linewidth in microgravity environment. The miniaturized cold atom clock based on intracavity cooling has great potential for achieving space high-precision time-frequency reference in the future.

A redundant subspace weighting procedure for clock ensemble

A redundant-subspace-weighting(RSW)-based approach is proposed to enhance the frequency stability on a time scale of a clock ensemble.In this method,multiple overlapping subspaces are constructed in the clock ensemble,and the weight of each clock in this ensemble is defined by using the spatial covariance matrix.The superimposition average of covariances in different subspaces reduces the correlations between clocks in the same laboratory to some extent.After optimizing the parameters of this weighting procedure,the frequency stabilities of virtual clock ensembles are significantly improved in most cases.

A Yb optical clock with a lattice power enhancement cavity

We construct a power enhancement cavity to form an optical lattice in an ytterbium optical clock.It is demonstrated that the intra-cavity lattice power can be increased by about 45 times,and the trap depth can be as large as 1400Er when laser light with a power of only 0.6 W incident to the lattice cavity.Such high trap depths are the key to accurate evaluation of the lattice-induced light shift with an uncertainty down to~1×10-18.By probing the ytterbium atoms trapped in the power-enhanced optical lattice,we obtain a 4.3 Hz-linewidth Rabi spectrum,which is then used to feedback to the clock laser for the close loop operation of the optical lattice clock.We evaluate the density shift of the Yb optical lattice clock based on interleaving measurements,which is-0.46(62)mHz.This result is smaller compared to the density shift of our first Yb optical clock without lattice power enhancement cavity mainly due to a larger lattice diameter of 344μm.

Piperine regulates the circadian rhythms of hepatic clock gene expressions and gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

The interplay between the host circadian clock and microbiota has significant influences on host metabolism processes,and circadian desynchrony triggered by high-fat diet(HFD)is closely related to metabolic disorders.In this study,the modulatory effects of piperine(PIP)on lipid metabolism homeostasis,gut microbiota community and circadian rhythm of hepatic clock gene expressions in obese rats were investigated.The Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were fed with normal diet(ND),HFD and HFD supplemented with PIP,respectively.After 9 weeks,rats were sacrificed with tissue and fecal samples collected for circadian analysis.Results showed that chronic PIP administration ameliorated the obesity-induced alterations in lipid metabolism and dysregulation of hepatic clock gene expressions in obese rats.The gut microbial communities studied through 16S rRNA sequencing showed that PIP ameliorated the imbalanced nicrobiota and recovered the circadian rhythm of Lactobacillaceae,Desulfovibrionaceae,Paraprevotellaceae,and Lachnospiraceae.The fecal metabolic profiles indicated that 3-dehydroshikimate,cytidine and lithocholyltaurine were altered,which were involved in the amino acid and fatty acid metabolism process.These findings could provide theoretical basis for PIP to work as functional food to alleviate the lipid metabolism disorder,circadian rhythm misalignment,and gut microbiota dysbiosis with wide applications in the food and pharmaceutic industries.

Flowering-time regulation by the circadian clock:From Arabidopsis to crops

Precise timing of flowering in plants is critical for their growth and reproductive processes.One factor controlling flowering time is the cycle of light and darkness within a day,known as the photoperiod.Plants are classified into long-day,short-day,and day-neutral plants based on light requirements for floral initiation.Although the molecular mechanisms that govern this differentiation remain incompletely understood,studies have consistently shown that the circadian clock plays a central role in regulating photoperiod response across diverse plant species.However,there is a scarcity of reviews describing the regulatory network linking the circadian clock with photoperiodic flowering.This review summarizes that regulatory network,focusing on the distinct roles of clock genes in long-day and short-day plants.We also discuss the strategies of clock gene mutations contributing to geographic variation in longday and short-day crops.

A novel small-animal locomotor activity recording device for biological clock research

The rodent running-wheel recording apparatus is a reliable approach for studying cir-cadian rhythm.This study demonstrated how to construct a simple and intelligent running-wheel recording system.The running wheel was attached to the cage's base,whereas the Hall sensor was attached to the cage's cover.Then,the RJ25 adaptor relayed the running signal to the main control board.Finally,the main control board was connected to the USB port of the computer with the USB connection.Data were collected using the online-accessible,self-created software Magturning.Through Magturning,generated data were saved and exported in real time.Afterward,the device was validated by collecting data on the locomotor activities of mice under dif-ferent light conditions.In conclusion,this new device can record circadian activity of rodents.Our device is appropriate for interdisciplinary investigations related to biological clock research.

Proposal for a realtime Einstein-synchronization-defined satellite virtual clock

Realization of high performance satellite onboard clock is vital for various positioning, navigation, and timing applications. For further improvement of the synchronization-based satellite time and frequency references, we propose a geosynchronous(GEO) satellite virtual clock concept based on ground–satellite synchronization and present a beacon transponder structure for its implementation(scheduled for launch in 2025), which does not require atomic clocks to be mounted on the satellite. Its high performance relies only on minor modifications to the existing transponder structure of GEO satellites. We carefully model the carrier phase link and analyze the factors causing link asymmetry within the special relativity. Considering that performance of such synchronization-based satellite clocks is primarily limited by the link's random phase noise, which cannot be adequately modeled, we design a closed-loop experiment based on commercial GEO satellites for pre-evaluation. This experiment aims at extracting the zero-means random part of the ground-satellite Ku-band carrier phase via a feedback loop. Ultimately, we obtain a 1σ value of 0.633 ps(two-way link), following the Gaussian distribution. From this result, we conclude that the proposed real-time Einstein-synchronization-defined satellite virtual clock can achieve picosecond-level replication of onboard time and frequency.

Hypothalamic circuits and aging:keeping the circadian clock updated

Over the past century,age-related diseases,such as cancer,type-2 diabetes,obesity,and mental illness,have shown a significant increase,negatively impacting overall quality of life.Studies on aged animal models have unveiled a progressive discoordination at multiple regulatory levels,including transcriptional,translational,and post-translational processes,resulting from cellular stress and circadian derangements.The circadian clock emerges as a key regulator,sustaining physiological homeostasis and promoting healthy aging through timely molecular coordination of pivotal cellular processes,such as stem-cell function,cellular stress responses,and inter-tissue communication,which become disrupted during aging.Given the crucial role of hypothalamic circuits in regulating organismal physiology,metabolic control,sleep homeostasis,and circadian rhythms,and their dependence on these processes,strategies aimed at enhancing hypothalamic and circadian function,including pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches,offer systemic benefits for healthy aging.Intranasal brain-directed drug administration represents a promising avenue for effectively targeting specific brain regions,like the hypothalamus,while reducing side effects associated with systemic drug delivery,thereby presenting new therapeutic possibilities for diverse age-related conditions.

A proposal for detecting weak electromagnetic waves around 2.6μm wavelength with Sr optical clock

Infrared signal detection is widely used in many fields.Due to the detection principle,however,the accuracy and range of detection are limited.Thanks to the ultra stability of the^(87)Sr optical lattice clock,external infrared electromagnetic wave disturbances can be responded to.Utilizing the ac Stark shift of the clock transition,we propose a new method to detect infrared signals.According to our calculations,the theoretical detection accuracy in the vicinity of its resonance band of 2.6μm can reach the order of 10-14W,while the minimum detectable signal of common detectors is on the order of 10^(-10)W.

Einstein’s Concept of Clock Synchronization Conflicts with the Second Relativity Postulate

Einstein defined clock synchronization whenever photon pulses with timetags traverse a fixed distance between two clocks with equal time spans ineither direction. Using the second relativity postulate, he found clocksmounted on a rod uniformly moving parallel with the rod’s length cannot besynchronized, but clocks attached to a stationary rod can. He dismissed thisdiscrepancy by claiming simultaneity and clock synchronization were not commonbetween inertial frames, but this paper proves with both Galilean and Lorentztransformations that simultaneity and clock synchronization are preservedbetween inertial frames. His derivation means moving clocks can never besynchronized in a “resting” inertial frame. Ultraprecise atomic clocks intimekeeping labs daily contradict his results. No algebraic error occurred inEinstein’s derivations. The two cases of clocksattached to a rod reveal three major conflicts with the currentsecond postulate. The net velocity between a photon source and detector plusthe “universal” velocity c is mathematically equivalent toEinstein’s clock synchronization method. As the ultraprecise timekeepingcommunity daily synchronizes atomic clocks on the moving Earth withultraprecise time uncertainty well below Einstein’s lowest limit ofsynchronization, the theoretical resolution of the apparent conflict isaccomplished by expanding the second relativity postulate to incorporate thenet velocity between the photon source and detector with the emitted velocity c as components of the total velocity c. This means the magnitudeof the total photon velocity can exceed the speed limit (299792458 m/s) set by the standard velocity c. .

大负荷运动后骨骼肌核心时钟基因Bmal1/Clock、Cry1/Per1的节律性振荡变化趋势

目的:探讨大负荷运动对骨骼肌核心时钟基因节律性表达的影响。方法:将208只8周龄SD大鼠随机分为对照(control,C)组与运动(Exercise,E)组,E组予以一次大负荷运动训练。每6 h取各组比目鱼肌,采用透射电镜观察骨骼肌纤维超微结构,通过实时荧光定量PCR实验测定骨骼肌核心时钟基因Bmal1、Clock、Cry1、Per1表达量,并使用余弦分析软件circacompare(R package)获取拟合余弦曲线参数,分析其节律性振荡的变化趋势。结果:1)C组Bmal1、Clock、Cry1、Per1 mRNA在72 h内呈现3个完整近日节律周期;E组Bmal1 mRNA、Cry1和Per1mRNA在0~24 h、Clock mRNA在0~72 h近日节律消失。2)与C组相比,E组Bmal1 mRNA在0、6、12和18 h显著升高,Clock mRNA在0 h时显著升高;Cry1、Per1 mRNA在0、12 h显著降低。3)C组各时相肌纤维超微结构正常,E组0、24和48 h均出现不同程度肌小节结构破坏、线粒体肿胀及聚集等改变,72 h有所缓解。结论:一次大负荷运动可诱发骨骼肌核心时钟基因Bmal1/Clock、Cry1/Per1节律振荡紊乱,其变化趋势与肌纤维超微结构损伤时相基本一致。

Miniaturized optical system for atomic fountain clock

Using modularized components, we have built a miniaturized optical system for 87Rb atomic fountain clock that is fitted on an 80 cm × 60 cm optical breadboard. Compared with the conventional optical setup on the table, our system is more compact, more robust and miniaturized. Taking advantage of this system, laser beams are transmitted through eight optical fibre patch cords from the optical breadboard to an ultra high vacuum system. This optical setup has operated for five months in our fountain system and required no alignment.

Clock synchronization design and evaluation for trigger-less data acquisition system

For modern particle physics experiments,trigger-less data acquisition(DAQ) system has been put into practice because of the need of reaction multiplicity and trigger flexibility.In such new DAQ systems,global synchronized clock plays an important role because it affects the granularity of time slice and precision of reference clock.In this paper,a novel synchronized clock distribution method is proposed.With the help of modulation technique,master clock module distributes system clock to each slave module.To synchronize slave clocks,the propagation delay is adjusted and the clock phase is aligned by an FPGA chip automatically.Furthermore,an ADCbased method is proposed to evaluate the performance of multi-module clock synchronization simultaneously.The experiments of a prototype system show that slave clocks can be synchronized less than 100 ps over 150 m range.The proposed method is simple and flexible,and it can be used in trigger-less DAQ system and other applications of clock distribution preciously.

Clock基因多态性与不同发情模式绵羊产羔数的关联分析

本研究旨在探究绵羊Clock基因g.70873128G>A、g.70875941C>T和g.70885750G>T位点多态性与绵羊产羔数之间的关系,以期为绵羊高繁殖力分子育种提供新的遗传标记。利用Sequenom MassARRAY?SNP技术对常年发情绵羊品种(小尾寒羊、湖羊和策勒黑羊)和季节性发情绵羊品种(滩羊、苏尼特羊和草原型藏羊)Clock基因3个多态位点多态性进行检测,并与小尾寒羊产羔数进行关联分析。分型结果表明:g.70873128G>A位点存在AA、AG和GG 3种基因型,g.70875941C>T位点存在TT、TC和CC 3种基因型,g.70885750G>T位点存在GG、GT和TT 3种基因型。群体遗传学分析表明:3个位点基因型频率和等位基因频率在2种发情模式绵羊品种间均达到差异极显著水平。g.70873128G>A位点在滩羊和草原型藏羊中表现为中度多态(0.25T位点和g.70885750G>T位点在策勒黑羊和滩羊中表现为中度多态(0.25A位点在策勒黑羊和滩羊中处于哈代-温伯格不平衡状态(P<0.05),g.70875941C>T位点在苏尼特羊中处于哈代-温伯格不平衡状态(P<0.05),g.70885750G>T位点在6个绵羊品种中处于哈代-温伯格平衡状态(P>0.05)。关联分析表明,3个多态位点与小尾寒羊第1、第2以及第3胎产羔数均无显著关联。综上,Clock基因g.70873128G>A、g.70875941C>T和g.70885750G>T位点可能都不是影响小尾寒羊产羔数的关键位点。

Core clock component MtLUX controls shoot architecture through repression of MtTB1/MtTCP1A in Medicago truncatula

Plants are capable of regulating their shoot architecture in response to diverse internal and external environments.The circadian clock is an adaptive mechanism that integrates information from internal and ambient conditions to help plants cope with recurring environmental fluctuations.Despite the current understanding of plant circadian clock and genetic framework underlying plant shoot architecture,the intricate connection between these two adaptive mechanisms remains largely unclear.In this study,we elucidated how the core clock gene LUX ARRHYTHMO(LUX)regulates shoot architecture in the model legume plant Medicago truncatula.We show that mtlux mutant displays increased main stem height,reduced lateral shoot length,and decreased the number of lateral branches and biomass yield.Gene expression analysis revealed that Mt LUX regulated shoot architecture by repressing the expression of strigolactone receptor MtD14 and MtTB1/MtTCP1A,a TCP gene that functions centrally in modulating shoot architecture.In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that Mt LUX directly binds to a cis-element in the promoter of MtTB1/MtTCP1A,suggesting that Mt LUX regulates branching by rhythmically suppressing MtTB1/MtTCP1A.This work demonstrates the regulatory effect of the circadian clock on shoot architecture,offering a new understanding underlying the genetic basis towards the flexibility of plant shoot architecture.