Laboratory of the National Time and Frequency Standard

Focus

The laboratory operates the National standard time and its frequency, i.e. creates an approximation of the physical units of time, seconds, and it implements the national time scale UTC (TP), which is involved in the creation of Co-ordinated Time UTC in collaboration with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) . The laboratory provides and ensures metrological traceability on the level of national standards and it also provides services (calibration, expert services) on the highest metrological level in the Czech Republic for the needs of industries and other entities, such as calibration laboratories.

Research

The time transfer with the use of satellite navigation systems

The research focuses on very precise measurement and comparison of time and frequency through satellite navigation systems - GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and SBAS (EGNOS, GAGAN). The results of this research have been applied in the joint development of a measurement apparatus for the comparison of time scales in collaboration with Dicom al. s ro These apparatuses are currently widely used in many national metrology institutes and world leading laboratories of time and frequency. They were also used for independent timeline verification for the OPERA project (measuring the speed of neutrinos). Such apparatuses are also used at synchronization stations for "laser ranging" at the Goddard Space Flight Center as part of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbitter.

Time transfer using fiber optic and all-optical networks.

Research in this area focuses on different methods of comparison and distribution of time scales and frequency standards with quantum optical fibers or with fully optical networks. Fully optical transfer is an interesting alternative to the transfer of time by satellite navigation systems. It can be used to achieve comparable accuracy compared to or higher than when using GPS. Currently, we provide long-term comparison of national time-scales of the Czech Republic and Austria in this way through interconnection of optical networks CESNET and ACOnet.

Watch the presentation about Time and frequency by Alexander Kuna, Ph.D. (in Czech only):