AC waveform source referenced to a Programmable Josephson Voltage Standard

We are integrating an AC waveform source into our Programmable Josephson Voltage Standard system (PJVS). The objective is to provide a convenient, highly automated quantum-referenced source for ac voltage metrology that does not require the use of a thermal voltage converter. The stability of the AC waveform is inferred from the DC voltage reference. The accuracy of the AC waveform is measured utilizing the differential sampling method with a PJVS step-wise synthesized waveform as a reference. Preliminary results show that the AC waveform source is about ten-times more stable than commercial calibrators.

I. Introduction

We have developed an AC waveform source, based on a DC voltage reference in order to achieve amplitude and phase stability that exceeds the performance provided by commercial ac calibrators. In combination with a P JVS and a sampling voltmeter (DVM), the AC waveform source is a versatile system that can perform direct calibration of various devices under test (DUT), such as ac voltmeters, multi-meters, thermal transfer standards and digitizers. It provides an important advance in the “ease of use” for measuring these instruments, which will greatly reduce setup time, and minimize the possibility of operator error through automation of critical tasks.