Clock synchronization characterization of the Washington DC metropolitan quantum network (DC-QNet)

Published

October 16, 2024

Author(s)

Wayne McKenzie, Anne Marie Richards, Shirali Patel, Thomas Gerrits, T. G., Steven Peil, Adam Black, David Tulchinsky, Alexander Hastings, YaShian Li-Baboud, Anouar Rahmouni, Paulina Kuo, Alan Mink, Ivan Burenkov, Yicheng Shi, Matthew Diaz, Nijil Lal Cheriya Koyyottummal, Mheni Merzouki, Pranish Shrestha, Alejandro Rodriguez Perez, Eleanya Onuma, Daniel Jones, Atiyya Davis, Thomas A. Searles, J.D. Whalen, Kate Collins, Qudsia Quraishi, La Vida Cooper, Harry Shaw, Bruce Crabill, Oliver Slattery, Abdella Battou

Abstract

Quantum networking protocols relying on interference and precise time-of-flight measurements require high-precision clock synchronization. This study describes the design, implementation, and characterization of two optical time transfer methods in a metropolitan-scale quantum networking research testbed. With active electronic stabilization, sub-picosecond time deviation (TDEV) was achieved at integration times between 1 and s over 53 km of deployed fiber. Over the same integration periods, 10-ps level TDEV was observed using the White Rabbit–Precision Time Protocol over 128 km. Measurement methods are described to understand the sources of environmental fluctuations on clock synchronization toward the development of in situ compensation methods. Path delay gradients, chromatic dispersion, polarization drift, and optical power variations all contributed to clock synchronization errors. The results from this study will inform future work in the development of compensation methods essential for enabling experimental research in developing practical quantum networking protocols.

Citation

Applied Physics Letters

Issue

125

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0225082

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Keywords

Time synchronization, quantum networks

Citation

McKenzie, W. , Richards, A. , Patel, S. , Gerrits, T. , G., T. , Peil, S. , Black, A. , Tulchinsky, D. , Hastings, A. , Li-Baboud, Y. , Rahmouni, A. , Kuo, P. , Mink, A. , Burenkov, I. , Shi, Y. , Diaz, M. , Cheriya Koyyottummal, N. , Merzouki, M. , Shrestha, P. , Rodriguez Perez, A. , Onuma, E. , Jones, D. , Davis, A. , Searles, T. , Whalen, J. , Collins, K. , Quraishi, Q. , Cooper, L. , Shaw, H. , Crabill, B. , Slattery, O. and Battou, A. (2024), Clock synchronization characterization of the Washington DC metropolitan quantum network (DC-QNet), Applied Physics Letters, [online], https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0225082, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=957982 (Accessed October 16, 2025)