Analysis of the impact of timing jitter on dual-comb ranging

Dual-comb ranging is a typical absolute-distance measurement method. Noise in ranging systems limits improvements in ranging precision. Timing jitter is a primary noise source, and its relationship with ranging precision remains to be explored. In this study, we established a model to describe this relationship from the perspective of the noise power spectral density (PSD). We propose a corresponding simulation method and analyze the coupling between the timing jitter and intensity noise. Furthermore, we validated this model using dual combs with different noise levels, including the measurement of timing jitter PSD and analysis of ranging precision, which confirms the correctness of our model. The proposed model for timing jitter and ranging precision can help comprehend the mechanism and design dual-comb ranging systems for practical applications.