OPTICAL CLOCKS AND FREQUENCY METROLOGY FOR SPACE

Abstract

Optical frequency standards and femtosecond comb measurement capabilities now rival and in some cases exceed those of microwave devices, with further improvements anticipated. Opportunities are emerging for the application of highly stable and accurate optical frequency devices to fundamental physics space science activities, and the European Space Agency (ESA) has recently commissioned studies on different aspects of optical clocks in space. This paper highlights some examples, including the difficulty of comparing very accurate terrestrial clocks at different locations due to fluctuations of the geoid; by locating a primary frequency standard in space, one could avoid geoid-related gravitational redshifts.