Fiber-optic time distribution with the autonomous calibration of dispersion-induced offset

In the fiber-optic time distribution a bidirectional (two-way) transmission in a single fiber is often used, as it guarantees superior forward-backward symmetry and thus accurate time transfer calibration. However, the chromatic dispersion present in optical fibers may cause noticeable difference between forward and backward propagation delay, which should be taken into account during system calibration. In this paper we describe the idea of autonomous calibration of dispersion-induced offset, and present experimental verification of the proposed solution.