Unprecedented long-term frequency stability with a microwave resonator oscillator

• Published in: IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 58; no. 8; pp. 1694 - 1697
• Main Authors: Grop, S. G., Schafer, W. S., Bourgeois, P., Kersale, Y. K., Oxborrow, M., Rubiola, E., Giordano, V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.08.2011; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Autonomous; Circuit properties; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Ferroelectric materials; Frequency control; Frequency stability; Frequency synthesizers; Laser stability; Measurements common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Metrology, measurements and laboratory procedures; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; Microwaves; Oscillators; Physics; Resonant frequency; Resonators; Sapphire; Thermal stability; Time and frequency; Time frequency analysis; Sapphire; Cryogenics; Tubes; Microwave resonator; Long term; Cryogenic temperature; Frequency stability
• ISSN: 0885-3010; 1525-8955
• DOI: 10.1109/TUFFC.2011.1998

This article reports on the long-term frequency stability characterization of a new type of cryogenic sapphire oscillator using an autonomous pulse-tube cryocooler as its cold source. This new design enables a relative frequency stability of better than 4.5 × 10 -15 over one day of integration. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the best long-term frequency stability ever obtained with a signal source based on a macroscopic resonator.