Geopotential Difference Measurement Using Two Transportable Optical Clocks’ Frequency Comparisons

Abstract

High-accuracy optical clocks have garnered increasing attention for their potential application in various fields, including geodesy. According to the gravitational red-shift effect, clocks at lower altitudes on the Earth’s surface run slower than those at higher altitudes due to the differential gravitational field. Consequently, the geopotential difference can be determined by simultaneously comparing the frequency of two optical clocks at disparate locations. Here, we report geopotential difference measurements conducted using a pair of transportable 40Ca+ optical clocks with uncertainties at the 10−17 level. After calibrating the output frequencies of two optical clocks in the horizontal position, frequency comparison is realized by moving Clock 2 to two different positions using a high-precision optical fiber time–frequency transmission link with Clock 1. The elevation difference of the two different positions, as processed by ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), is measured as −88.4 cm ± 16.7 cm and 104.5 cm ± 20.1 cm, respectively, which is consistent with the geometric measurement results within the error range. This experimental result validates the credibility of the optical clock time–frequency comparison used in determining geopotential differences, thereby providing a novel measurement model for the establishment of a global unified elevation datum.