Time and frequency transmission systems based on fiber optic networks have been developed for many years. There are some national infrastructures and cross-border test connections for metrological research. The project partners see a need to build a European reference network for the transmission of time and frequency signals as a long-term goal. Meetings with stakeholders have confirmed the need to build a European infrastructure based on European NMIs, NRENs, academic research institutes and universities, and commercial companies.
The benefits of access to precise time and frequency signals would be evident in many fields of science and industries like Navigation, Transport, Power Grids systems, Finance, Telecommunication, Security, Defence. The 8 most interested areas have been identified in workshop in Bad Honnef: Fundamental Physics, Quantum Technology, Optical Clocks & SI, Geodesy, Astronomy, Navigation and GNSS, Next Generation Telecommunication systems, and T&F Dissemination systems.
The CLONES-DS project is the next step in bringing us closer to achieve this vision. The project aims to establish a pan-European time and frequency reference system as a European Research Infrastructure to serve the European science community. It is based on transmitting ultra precise time and frequency information via optical fiber. The project builds on several joint European projects and its direct precursor project CLONETS. We now go far beyond previous efforts by designing a sustainable, pan-European, ultra-precise time-and-frequency reference-system available to the European research community. This Research Infrastructure considers user needs, designs the required architecture, engineering models and roadmaps, and develops a sustainability model for the future service, thus strengthening the European research area.
Ultimately, the project:
1. Elaborated the needs of the scientific community for ultraprecise timing and frequencies in fields of research, including: physics, metrology including optical clock comparisons, applications in geodesy and/or very long base line interferometry (VLBI), telecommunication, and navigation. Gained feedback and defined user requirements for an envisaged time and frequency reference system provided via optical fibre at selected points of presence (PoP) (D1.1 D1.2).
2. Mapped network architecture to support T&F services at the highest, most advanced level of stability and accuracy without interdependencies to allow parallel use by different scientific communities and multiple users at the same time. (D2.1)
3. Designed an engineering model as well as a deployment strategy that assure interoperability of already existing implementations at European level (D2.2 D4.3) and possible future extensions including the creation of a Data Management Plan (D2.3) to ensure that all envisioned users profit from a common data platform in an appropriate way.
4. Defined roadmaps (D4.2) and strategies to implement a sustainable research infrastructure. This included a costing model, governance, as well as dissemination and exploitation plans to estimate potential future economic and societal impact.
5. Elaborated plans for the integration of necessary environment into the European landscape, including possible implementation into the ESFRI strategy (D4.2). Provided summary of recommendations to policy makers, and disseminated information to stakeholders and users via workshops, international conferences and trade shows (D3.2; D4.4).
