In-line extraction of an ultra-stable frequency signal over an optical fiber link

Abstract: We demonstrate in-line extraction of an ultra-stable frequency signal over an optical link of 92-km of installed telecommunication fibers, following the proposition of G. Grosche in 2010. We show that the residual frequency noise at the extraction end is noticeably below that at the main link output when the extraction is near the input end, as expected from a simple model of the noise compensation. We obtain relative frequency instabilities, expressed as overlapping Allan deviation, of 8x10-16 at 1 s averaging time and a few 10-19 at 1 day. These results are at the state-of-the-art for a link using urban telecommunication fibers. We also propose an improved scheme which delivers an ultra-stable signal of higher power, in order to feed a secondary link. In-line extraction opens the way to a broad distribution of an ultra-stable frequency reference, enabling a wide range of applications beyond metrology.