RISE Research Institutes of Sweden hosts most Swedish national metrology institute activities, including time and frequency that is located at its Borås facilities in the southwest of Sweden since 1995. UTC(SP) remains the official designation of the Swedish UTC(k) realization. It is implemented in a redundant classical master clock and phase stepper setup and is locally distributed to different users and time transfer applications. The local clock ensemble consists of hydrogen masers and high-performance commercial Cs standards but is complemented by clocks at two external sites with a redundant realization of UTC(SP). UTC(SP) is linked to TAI using TWSTFT and GNSS, with the primary link using the link combination TWGPPP. The time scale is regularly kept within ±5 ns of UTC, regular calibrations ensure high traceability to UTC. The two external realizations are linked using GNSS or White Rabbit. The time scales are publicly distributed using NTP or NTS. PTP, White Rabbit and GNSS based distribution and traceability is offered as services to customers. Additionally, RISE offers several calibration and monitoring services for the distribution of UTC-traceable time and frequency signals. Time and frequency research at RISE is concentrated on the refinement of GNSS and TWSTFT methods, their calibration and real-time dissemination methods. Traceability and security of network time is another focus area of increasing importance, as is the understanding of interference and its mitigation in the GNSS spectrum. The group is also active in research on fiber based optical frequency transfer. Outside the time metrological responsibilities, the group engages in applied research projects with the aim of establishing metrological aspects of time, frequency and dimension within energy distribution, positioning and navigation, and transport applications in the automotive and maritime domains. 

We present the design and fabrication of flexible, liquid-filled scintillating fibers for X-ray detection made from silica fibers and silica capillaries. The scintillating fibers were characterized using ultraviolet light exposure and we also performed an experiment demonstrating X-ray detection.

The local time scale at Onsala Space Observatory is connected to UTC(SP) through a White Rabbit time transfer system operating on the Swedish University Computer Network SUNET. The time transfer enables a robust synchronization of the VLBI and the IGS stations operating at the observatory and can potentially improve the reliability and availability of traceable time at sufficient accuracy. Several months of data are gathered to evaluate long term events and stability metrics. 

RISE Research Institutes of Sweden is since 2018 the result of a rebranding of SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden and several other national research facilities and test beds in Sweden. This also comprises most national metrology institute (NMI) activities, including time and frequency that is still located at its Borås facilities in the southwest of Sweden since 1995. UTC(SP) remains the official designation of the Swedish UTC(k) realization. It is realized in a classical master clock and phase stepper setup and is locally distributed to different users and time transfer applications. The most recent local clock ensemble consists of four hydrogen masers and three high performance 5071A Cs standards. UTC(SP) is linked to TAI using TWSTFT and GNSS. The primary link is a combination TWGPPP with current calibration uncertainties of 1.1 ns. The time scale is regularly kept within ±5 ns of UTC. RISE has also established several distributed UTC(SP) copies, with both local backups in Borås and facilities at remote sites linked together by GNSS time transfer. Network time distribution at those sites make UTC(SP) publicly available. Additionally, RISE offers several calibration services for the distribution of UTC-traceable time and frequency signals. Time and frequency related metrological research at RISE is mostly concentrated on further refinement of GNSS and TWSTFT methods, their calibration and the dissemination using those methods. We are also active in research on fiber based optical time and frequency transfer. Outside the metrological responsibilities, many research projects focus on establishing metrological aspects of time and frequency within for instance the automotive and maritime domain.

A fiber-based time transfer between UTC(SP) and the VLBI-station at Onsala Space Observatory has been evaluated. The transfer uses a single wavelength in an active coherent DWDM-network in unidirectional duplex fibers and is routed through Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers.

A variety of commerce needs or requires accurate time, such as air traffic control, bank transactions and computer log file comparisons. Whenever the used time needs to be compared with a timestamp generated by another system, both systems must be traceable to a common reference, such as a local UTC(k) realization. Within this paper a distributed timescale using five nodes across Sweden is presented. The foundation for time keeping at each node is two cesium clocks, which are connected to time analysis equipment and equipment for producing redundant timescales. Both timescales are used and distributed throughout the time node and then prioritized by the local NTP servers, PTP grand masters, and other time distribution services. The timescales are monitored by RISE Research Institute of Sweden to ensure traceability to UTC(SP).To compare the timescales of each location with the other locations, GNSS common view is primarily used with an alternative fiber-based solution as back-up. All available time signals are measured relative to the master timescale, and that data is distributed to the other locations to be used as input in the steering of the local timescales. The NTP servers of the time nodes are directly connected to Internet Exchange points, for central, highly available and fair connectivity to the Internet. 

When fiber optic communication networks are used for ultra-stable timing or frequency transfer, there will always be an influence of polarization variation to some extent. The variations can be induced by e.g. mechanical vibration or electromagnetic effects from adjacent power lines. The output polarization from a 120 km fiber transmission of an ultra-stable optical frequency is analyzed and the requirements of a compensation device are quantified.

A nationwide fiber optic communication network utilizing state-of-the-art technologies with data modulation both in the polarization and in multi-level amplitude and phase is being deployed in Sweden. The network is operated by the Swedish University computer Network, and connects all universities and several research facilities in the country through redundant connections. Since there is a limited amount of clients connected to the network, each client will be assigned a personal wavelength. With a network that is all-optical through an advanced utilization of dynamically reconfigurable optical add and drop multiplexers, each wavelength can theoretically be connected to any other client within the network, enabling broadcasting on allocated wavelengths. The coherent modulation formats also enables signal recovery through electronic digital signal processing after detection, and no optical dispersion compensation is thereby installed. This new network scheme enables a brand new implementation of frequency and time dissemination in the network. The omission of dispersion compensation fibers enhances the symmetry in duplex fiber pair transmission. These optical add-drop installations allow for future efficient frequency and time signal broadcasting from reference nodes operated by distributors such as SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden to users connected to the network.

An experimental fiber connection for ultra-stable optical frequency transfer is established between SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden in Borås and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. The distance is approximately 60 km, and the connection is implemented in the Swedish University Computer Network. The sites are connected through an active flexible communication network where each optical channel can be configured with terminal equipment based on the user needs. The network is implemented with unidirectional optical amplifiers and duplex fibers. The signal quality and the stability when sending an optical coherent frequency utilizing a wavelength in a DWDM system fiber pair, is evaluated within this work. The aim of the system is to be ultra-stable which corresponds to a stability of 10-13 for t = 1 s (Overlapping Allan Variance), as well as providing the ability to distribute monitored ultra-stable frequency with a future traceability to UTC (SP) to multiple users within the future network. This paper describes the current status and results from the frequency transfer between SP and Chalmers.

The rapid development in communication infrastructure over the past decades entails an increasing dependence on time and frequency, as well as its redundant distribution. This places demands not only on already existing distribution methods, but also on the development of new ones to meet future needs. To meet these demands several research groups are working on high performance fiber-based frequency transfer techniques. The best achieved performance so far is the techniques using a single bi-directional fiber connection, with customized bi-directional optical amplifiers [1]. The objective of this project is to develop a method that is compatible with data communication in DWDM-systems, i.e. using the existing infrastructure, as well as to be complementary technique for time and frequency distribution. Even though it is likely to have worse performance than the bi-directional system in terms of frequency stability, it will allow for the impassable obligation to follow the deployed structure of telecom networks. The establishment and early results of the non-stabilized link has been previously presented [2, 3]. The ongoing evaluation and improvement will be aimed at finding relevant performance specifications for a connection using this technique. The work presented here is the most recent results of the frequency transfer and discusses the future plans for the fiber connection, including the added time transfer method. If proven successful, the long-term objective is to establish a distribution network for optical frequency references in Sweden.