Sensitivity of radio frequency phase stabilization system to temperature changes in a fiber optic link

The distribution of highly accurate phase-stable radio frequency (RF) signal is essential in numerous scientific and research fields. It can be realized by using an optical link with phase-stable signal distribution system. This paper investigates the impact of temperature changes on a prototype phase stabilization system in an optical fiber link and evaluates its ability to maintain a stable RF signal phase despite ambient temperature fluctuations. The measurement results indicate that the system effectively compensates for temperature changes with a gradient of $\Delta T \leq 0.1^{\circ} C/s$, with measured phase fluctuations of approximately 0.3 ps. However, the system struggles to manage temperature fluctuations exceeding this threshold, with observed signal delays of up to 5 ps. These findings suggest that further improvements are needed to enhance the system’s performance and enable a reliable and consistent phase-stable signal distribution in real-world scenarios, where temperature fluctuations are common.