Demonstration of wireless two-way interferometry (Wi-Wi)

Abstract

Wireless two-way interferometry (Wi-Wi) is the simplified version of “carrier phase based two-way satellite time and frequency transfer,” wherein a wireless communication technology is used instead of a satellite communication technology. We used the carrier phase of a 2.4 GHz ZigBee module to measure the variation of two rubidium clocks at remote sites. Since clocks in the ZigBee module are much less precise than rubidium clocks, the carrier phase of the ZigBee signal cannot be used to compare two rubidium clocks in a simple manner. Using a technique to cancel the clock error of transmitters, we demonstrated picosecond-level precision measurement of the time variation of clocks between two remote systems. This synchronization technique at picosecond-level precision opens the door to low-cost wireless positioning at millimeter accuracy.