Welcome to the Time and Frequency Laboratory

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The Time and Frequency Laboratory constitutes one of the nine key areas of research and innovation of the University of Neuchâtel. The Time-Frequency and Optical Metrology Centre explores and pushes the frontiers in time measurements, photonics, and metrology.

Mission statement

The LTF’s mission is to explore and push the frontiers in time and frequency research, optical metrology, and ultrafast science and technology.

LTF also contributes Switzerland to join in a near future the limited number of countries that actively participate to the definition of the international atomic time TAI with primary frequency standards, with the development of the unique atomic fountain clock FOCS-2 that operates with a continuous beam of cold cesium atoms.

Key competences

LTF’s key competences to achieve its research objectives are:

Ultrafast lasers development and analysis
Various frequency combs systems
State-of-the-art ion beam sputtering (IBS) machine for custom optics fabrication
Cold atoms
Noise/stability analysis for microwave/optical oscillators
Stabilisation of microwave/optical oscillators
Vapour cells manufacturing and characterisation
CPT and double resonance spectroscopy in alkali vapour cells
Vapour cells atomic clocks
Time & Frequency metrology
State-of-the-art reference H-maser

Last update: December 3, 2021

Agenda

28.08-02.09.2022 : Europhoton 2022, Hannover, Germany

19-24.06.2022 : Optical Interference Coatings Conference, British Columbia, Canada

21.06.2022 : Final symposium MacQsimal, Unimail, Neuchâtel Suisse

07-10.06.2022 : MUST2022, Grindelwald, Switzerland

15-20.05.2022 : CLEO 2022, San Jose, California (USA)

24-28.04.2022 : EFTF-IFCS, Paris (France)

02-07.04.2022 : European Microwave Week 2022, London (UK)

25-27.01.2022 : PTTI Meeting, Long Beach, CA (USA)

News

27.06.2022 : De nouvelles horloges atomiques miniatures bientôt sur le marché, presse release

21.06.2022 : Capteurs quantiques à vapeur de rubidium et leur limite quantique, Alice Sinatra & Jacques Haesler, photos, vidéo

11.11.2021 : The Institute of Physics and the macQsimal project participated in the Swiss Future Day. Eight youngster discovered the research activities at LTF.