[time-nuts] laser as clock source

[Magnus Danielson]

Ilia,

On 05/05/2016 06:55 AM, Ilia Platone wrote:
> Is it possible to use the photon flux of a laser as clock source using a
> sensor in photon-counting mode?
>
> Or the photon rate will be chaotic and unstable (as I think but wanted
> to know)?

There will be noise. Lots of it.

Feel free to measure it thought, if you have the equipment.

There is way better ways to use optical signals in clock contexts, the 
new optical clocks rival conventional microwave standards and has 
stabilities down towards 1E-18 and promises to go below. So good in 
fact, that work has begun to see if a re-definition of the SI second 
should be done in terms of optical clocks.

Cheers,
Magnus