SI Second and UTC – Today and Tomorrow
The second still remains the best realised unit in SI (it has the smallest uncertainties), but this is no longer enough for frequency and time (F&T) metrologists and they are preparing for the redefinition of the second in the next few years. International F&T community is working hard nowadays to prepare all stakeholders for the new optical second that will have the realisation uncertainties at 1E-18 level, compared to 1E-16 level of the microwave Caesium standards.
In addition to new frequency standards, the attention to the accessibility and stability of UTC is high priority; modern technologies require high accuracy and secure time synchronization and F&T metrology is developing systems and methods that allow the transition of nanosecond accuracy from the National Labs to the client’s systems.
I will present NRC F&T work that covers a wide range of activities – Caesium fountain NRC primary frequency standard realizing the SI second for Canada, portable single trapped Strontium Ion optical clock that will provide NRC with access to new optical SI second, and nanosecond accuracy time dissemination for the most demanding applications.
BIO: Dr. Marina Gertsvolf
Dr. Marina Gertsvolf is the Team Leader for Frequency and Time (F&T) group at National Research Council (NRC) Canada and is responsible for realising the second, an SI unit of time, and for maintaining and disseminating the official time for Canada, UTC(NRC).
Dr. Gertsvolf received her PhD from the University of Ottawa in 2009 and joined NRC as a research officer the same year. In 2016 she became the F&T team leader and has been leading the group and the development of the next generation frequency standards and dissemination services that meet and exceed current industry and society needs. NRC F&T group operates and develops among other, the caesium fountain atomic clock, the primary realisation of SI second; the single trapped strontium ion clock, the most accurate frequency standard in Canada and one of the best in the world; the nanosecond accuracy time dissemination service to remote clients in support of the critical infrastructure needs, and the frequency comb systems for frequency calibration and comparisons.
Dr. Gertsvolf serves on several international committees and working groups. Among others she is the Commission A Chair of Canadian National Committee for the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), the Chair of the International Atomic Time Working Group at the Consultative Committee of Time and Frequency (CCTF-WGTAI) and the Deputy Technical Chair of the Systema Interamericano de Metrologia (SIM).
