Étienne Cantin, Technical Director of REFIMEVE and a member of the Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, has announced the successful deployment of REFIMEVE in Nice! The INPHYNI laboratory is now receiving the reference signals generated in Laboratoire Temps Espace (namely two ultra-stable signals for frequency dissemination: one at 1542 nm and the other in the RF band, as well as a signal for time dissemination) disseminated in the REFIMEVE network infrastructure. The ARTEMIS laboratory is in the process of being connected.
The signals are transmitted via the fibres of the INPHYNI laboratory’s Quantum@UCA quantum communications network. The RF and time references (via the ‘White Rabbit’) method) and the optical reference at 1542 nm are transmitted to Nice from the Calern Observatory, a REFIMEVE user and point of presence. Pending the arrival of the REFIMEVE ‘White Rabbit’ signals, the Calern maser is being used as the source, illustrating the close collaboration between partners in this region. An experiment involving the distribution of quantum cryptographic keys (QKD) over a fibre-optic network, spanning four sites (including the INPHYNI laboratory) and utilising REFIMEVE references, is scheduled for the start of the academic year. Following the connection of the LKB, MPQ and LIP6 laboratories at the start of the year, this represents a significant step forward in the field of quantum communications.
This success is the result of exemplary coordination between REFIMEVE, INPHYNI, ARTEMIS, the IT Department of Université Côte d’Azur, the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur and the IT Department of INRIA Sophia Antipolis.
Bravo to everyone for this collective achievement!
