The Josephson-Effect-Based Primary AC Power Standard at the PTB: Progress Report

• Published in: IEEE transactions on instrumentation and measurement 2009-04, Vol.58 (4), p.1049-1053
• Main Authors: Palafox, L., Behr, R., Ihlenfeld, W.G.K., Muller, F., Mohns, E., Seckelmann, M., Ahlers, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternating current; and apparent; Calibration; Electric potential; Electric power generation; Electric variables measurement; Instrumentation; Josephson junctions; Measurement standards; Power measurement; Precision power measurements (active; programmable Josephson voltage standards; reactive; Sampling methods; superconductor-insulator-normal conductor-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) Josephson junctions; Synthesizers; Testing; Voltage; Voltmeters; Waveforms
• ISSN: 0018-9456; 1557-9662
• DOI: 10.1109/TIM.2008.2008862

This paper reports the incorporation of a Josephson waveform synthesizer (JWS) into the primary standard for AC electrical power at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The increase to 10 V of the amplitude delivered by the JWS has allowed matching of the levels of the signals measured to determine the active, reactive, and apparent power-at the 120-V and 5-A level, which is also measured by the device under test. The inherent noise- and drift-free voltages delivered by the JWS allow calibration of the core sampling voltmeter of the PTB primary power standard with an uncertainty of 0.4 muV/V(k = 1) in 100 signal periods and as part of the measuring sequence.