Ultra-low noise laser and optical frequency comb-based timing system for the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) mission

Abstract

In this effort, we demonstrate the performance of a highly stable time reference for the proposed Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) mission, a space-based extension to the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) project. This precision timing system is based on the use of a space-qualified, ultra-low noise laser developed as part of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission as the timing reference, and an optical frequency comb to transfer the stability of this laser to the microwave regime for instrumentation use. We describe the implementation of this system and experimental setup to characterize the stability performance. We present the results of this experiment that demonstrate the performance of this system meets requirements for the BHEX mission.

To be published in the proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024

References in corpus (9)

• First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. I. The Shadow of the Supermassive Black Hole
• Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
• Photonic microwave signals with zeptosecond level absolute timing noise
• The Black Hole Explorer: Motivation and Vision
• The Black Hole Explorer: Photon Ring Science, Detection and Shape Measurement
• The Black Hole Explorer: Using the Photon Ring to Visualize Spacetime Around the Black Hole
• Receivers for the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) Mission
• The Japanese Vision for the Black Hole Explorer Mission
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Cited by in corpus (5)

• The Black Hole Explorer: Motivation and Vision
• The Japanese Vision for the Black Hole Explorer Mission
• Optical frequency comb integration in radio telescopes: advancing signal generation and phase calibration
• Outer Solar System spacecraft to probe the $\mu$Hz gravitational wave frontier
• Characterization of Long-Term Stable Photonic Microwaves based on a Difference Frequency Comb