Time and frequency are at the heart of many everyday applications that we take for granted, such as satellite navigation and telecommunications, and underpin some of the most precise measurements in various areas of research such as fundamental physics, molecular spectroscopy and geodesy. The unprecedented accuracy of modern optical clocks has spurred the development of matching frequency comparison techniques, with optical frequency transfer over fibre emerging as the method of choice. However, international time scales, as well as applications outside metrology, require reliable and economically sustainable time transfer in addition to frequency transfer capabilities. This project will advance fibre-based frequency transfer capabilities in Europe towards a universal tool for time and frequency metrology by developing combined time and frequency techniques with enhanced performance, while ensuring compatibility with optical telecommunication networks. In addition the project will promote fibre-optic time and frequency dissemination for applications beyond metrology, for example in geodesy.
