Signal Generation in a Low-SWaP Atomic Clock Ensemble

Christopher Flood, William Watkins, Penina Axelrad

Abstract:	Low SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) clocks are expected to play a key role in new positioning, navigation, and time (PNT) systems, providing augmentations or alternatives to conventional Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). To achieve high-quality PNT services with payloads operating with more limited resources than dedicated GNSS satellites, we are developing a testbed for producing high stability signals based on a small ensemble of low-SWaP devices. This paper presents our progress on the design and implementation of a control and signal generation system responsible for steering an oscillator towards the desired clock state. Results from both simulations and experimental hardware, demonstrate the ability to drive an oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO), first to a single reference clock signal, and then to the implicit ensemble mean (IEM) of three Chip Scale Atomic Clocks (CSACs) within the testbed.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting January 25 - 27, 2022 Hyatt Regency Long Beach Long Beach, California
Pages:	45 - 57
Cite this article:	Flood, Christopher, Watkins, William, Axelrad, Penina, "Signal Generation in a Low-SWaP Atomic Clock Ensemble," Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Long Beach, California, January 2022, pp. 45-57. https://doi.org/10.33012/2022.18272
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