SYRTE

Ultra-precise rotation measurement with matter-waves

23 June 2022

The Sagnac effect played an important role in the foundations of the theory of relativity, that led to the development of precision optical interferometers to check the agreement with theory. The Atomic Interferometry and Inertial Sensors team of SYRTE has recently published a precise test of the Sagnac effect using matter waves. The team was able to measure the phase shift induced by the Earth’s rotation and find an agreement with the theoretical prediction at a precision level of 25 parts per million.
At the final stroke

10 June 2022

Soon the last stroke of the speaking clock will happen.
A look back at almost 90 years of history, and how to get the correct time after July the 1st at midnight and one second.
Sébastien Bize winner of the European Frequency and Time Award of the European Frequency and Time Forum

25 April 2022

Sébastien Bize, CNRS research director at the Systèmes de Référence Temps-Espace (SYRTE) laboratory, is the 2022 winner of the European Frequency and Time Award from the European Frequency and Time Forum (EFTF). The award recognises his outstanding contribution to the development of microwave and optical frequency standards for fundamental physics tests and for the realisation of the time unit of the International System of Units.
REFIMEVE listed as National Research Infrastructure

8 March 2022

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has just unveiled the new national roadmap for Research Infrastructures. REFIMEVE is one of the new infrastructures listed in the roadmap.
International collaboration sets new record for comparison of distant ultrastable lasers through an optical fibre network

11 January 2022

In an highly collaborative experiment led by NPL (UK), involving 32 authors from three countries and five institutions: NPL(UK), RENATER, LPL and LNE-SYRTE (France) and PTB (Germany), the international consortium has set a new record for comparing distant ultra-stable lasers 750 kilometres apart. The optical comparison is made through a world-record long optical fiber links of 2,220 kilometres and 2 interconnections within the French optical fiber network REFIMEVE, a new National Research Infrastructure in France. Even using cutting-edge optical frequency standards, the team has been able to demonstrate that their measurement precision is preserved when transmitted across stabilized optical fibre.
Etienne Savalle’s PhD work rewarded by IAU !

3 July 2021

The International Astronomy Union (IAU) has just awarded the 2021 nominees that recognises the outstanding scientific achievements of 9 astronomy PhD students around the world. Etienne Savalle, who prepared his thesis under the supervision of Peter Wolf, was rewarded in the category Fundamental astronomy.
New insights into the heart of AGN from VLBI and Gaia

17 June 2021

Astrometry of very high precision on the ground or in space, in radio or optics, reveals a little more the machinery of the AGN.
Measuring heights to better understand global warming

25 March 2021

Rising sea levels reflect far-reaching environmental and climatic effects. The new Sentinel-6 (Michael Freilich) satellite will improve and continue our monitoring of rising seas with even greater accuracy.
How to find the direction of North on Mars with a gnomon?

25 March 2021

The orientation of the SEIS seismometer, dropped on Mars in December 2018 by the InSight probe, must be known precisely to be really useful. But Mars, like the Moon, does not have a sufficiently strong magnetic field. A compass will not be able to indicate the direction of North. A solution for orientation, proposed by a research team from SYRTE (Obs Paris/PSL-CNRS-SU-LNE), consisted of using the shadow of a gnomon illuminated by the Sun to determine the meridian of the location: this is how, on 1 January 2019, it was possible to find the Martian geographic North using an instrument that dates back to ancient times.
Non destructive micro-wave detection of coherent quantum dynamics in a laser-cooled atom sample

27 February 2021

A new method of nondestructive detection of the quantum state of laser-cooled atoms has been demonstrated by a SYRTE team. Non-destructive methods, which preserve the state of the cold atom gas almost intact after its measurement, is one of the important objectives set by the ten-year program for the development of quantum technologies as defined by the European Union. It is also an important technological milestone that has just been passed for the industrial manufacture of compact cold atom quantum sensors.

It is a leader in time and frequenciy metrology and is also specialized in Earth rotation, celestial reference frame and history of Astronomy.
SYRTE has a multidisciplinary research activity with transverse expertise in theory, instrumentation and data analysis and various goals from fundamental physics tests to industrial transfers.It is founder membre of Laboratoire d’Excellence du Programme Investissements d’Avenir FIRST-TF.

It has in charge several international services. Associated with the LNE - Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais - the SYRTE has the responsability of the national reference time and frequence. With the IERS (International Earth Rotation Service), it deliver Earth rotation parameters and other services.

Its teams take part in training and education by giving university lectures and also spread scientific culture by organizing public talks.

Heure légale française [...]

Ultra-precise rotation measurement with matter-waves

At the final stroke

Sébastien Bize winner of the European Frequency and Time Award of the European Frequency and Time Forum

REFIMEVE listed as National Research Infrastructure

International collaboration sets new record for comparison of distant ultrastable lasers through an optical fibre network

Etienne Savalle’s PhD work rewarded by IAU !

New insights into the heart of AGN from VLBI and Gaia

Measuring heights to better understand global warming

How to find the direction of North on Mars with a gnomon?

Non destructive micro-wave detection of coherent quantum dynamics in a laser-cooled atom sample