Perfect Time for the Future

 

Plan for Perfect Time

Introduction

Synchronous timing remains a problem for cybersecurity, encryption and communications systems.  Technologies have tried various approaches, including atomic clocks (Snyder, 1973), elaborate time messaging schemes (Luo et al., 2019), use of primary and secondary clocks (Engler, 1883), and the Global Positioning System (National Research Council, 1995).  However, all of these time synchronization methods have errors.  Time synchronous errors lead to uncertainty in location, inability to use encryption, and an inability to optimize communications protocols.  This sociotechnical plan proposes an innovative solution for synchronous timing by using features of quantum entanglement. 

Scope

Quantum entanglement means that certain physical traits of two particles are correlated, even at a distance.  A key feature of quantum entanglement is that changes to the physical state of one member of an entangled pair are replicated in its twin, even while physically separated.  Entanglement is what Einstein described as spooky action at a distance and unfortunately caused Einstein to disagree incorrectly with quantum theories (Snyder, 2019). 

It may be possible to use the concept of quantum entanglement to synchronize clocks and provide near-perfect time.  If two clocks that require timing synchronization can detect entangled photons, the system's accuracy is the accuracy of the primary clock, not the combined errors of both clocks.  Current philosophies of quantum entanglement-based clocks tend to have a derived assumption that there is a common phase reference between the two clocks.  Unfortunately, if there is a common phase reference, the phase reference itself provides more errors, obviating the need for quantum clocks.  However, Ebubechukwu et al. (2020) have recently proposed a solution that does not require a phase reference, making quantum entanglement timing theoretically possible.  The innovation has two goals:  using quantum entanglement to provide clock corrections between a primary and secondary clock, and ultimately providing a timing device to all users that is synchronized to a national standard (e.g., connected to the Naval Observatory).

Purpose

The current approach in telecommunications and cybersecurity accepts timing uncertainty, resulting in inaccurate location data, the use of coarse and fine synchronization approaches in systems with strong encryption, and margin added to communications systems.  The root cause of timing synchronization uncertainty is physical distance, particularly if an endpoint is moving.  The precise distance and speed cannot accurately be measured since there is no perfect time source, resulting in errors.  Noise and device frequency instability are also contributors.  In other words, internal timing sources are only accurate to a specification dictated by their electronic and mechanical design.  When two clocks need to synchronize, errors accumulate from both clocks.  Engineers and scientists have accepted imperfect timing synchronization and developed numerous workarounds (Liu et al., 2021).      

Communications protocols that require precise timing include Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), time division multiple access, and frequency hopping communications systems.  For note, OFDMA is the standard used for 4G and 5G cell phone systems.  Further, numerous cybersecurity methods, both defensive and offensive, rely on synchronous timing.  Encryption requires knowing where the encrypted string starts and stops.  Man-in-the-middle attacks generally require precise timing to replicate end point protocols.  Current timing standards use Global Positioning System (GPS) and internet-based Network Time Protocols (NTP).  NTP servers are accurate to within 1 millisecond if the NTP servers are on the local area network, and as high as 100 milliseconds if over an asymmetric connection using public internet servers (Shinton, 2020).  Although GPS is most commonly known and used for precise timing, it is currently accurate to within three nanoseconds, resulting in GPS receivers being accurate to 10-20 meters and two or three factors of ten improvement over internet-based time  (Smithsonian, 2021). 

An easy method to understand timing uncertainty is to think of a notional one Gigabit per second transmitter.  One Gigabit is equal to 10⁹ bits.  A nanosecond is equal to 10^-9 seconds.  The notional transmitter would be sending one bit every one nanosecond to transmit one Gigabit every second.  As an example, with an uncertainty of three nanoseconds, the start or stop time of the transmitter would have an uncertainty of 3 bits.  This uncertainty requires a system that provides some sort of timing margin or uses synchronization bits; both solutions effectively waste bandwidth.  Or, encrypted systems must account for the bit uncertainty by adopting less than ideal encryption schemes.  As data rates increase, the need for more precise timing is necessary. A 100 Gigabit per second communications system may have 300 bits of uncertainty for starts and stops, if the timing accuracy is three nanoseconds.  The timing uncertainty is far worse for internet-based timing.

Supporting Forces

Supporting forces for using quantum entanglement for time synchronization are recent advances in quantum entanglement for other uses, and increasing bandwidth requirements.  Recent quantum entanglement demonstrations show that tangled states can be detected via satellite at 1200 kilometers (Yin et al., 2017), assuming near-perfect conditions (Ecker et al., 2019).  Quantum entanglement was first proposed for cryptographic key distribution in 1984, with the Swiss using quantum key distribution to secure their elections in 2007 (Messmer, 2007).  An improved application was proposed in 2015 to lengthen the key distribution distance over fiber to 307 kilometers (Korzh et al., 2015).  Quantum entanglement has also been proposed for secure communications (Tseng et al., 2012).  All of these applications show that quantum entanglement can be implemented for real-world applications and could be used for timing synchronization.

Bandwidth requirements, and bandwidth speeds are increasing.  A major driver for bandwidth speeds is virtual reality, which requires large amounts of streaming data, with dynamic real time changes to create a realistic experience.  Virtual reality has many uses to include medical diagnostics, training, and education.  Huawei defined four levels of virtual reality, with Ultimate Virtual Reality as its final evolution.  For Ultimate Virtual Reality, resolution and frame rates are increased, approaching eye retina perception (Huawei, 2017).  According to Hu et al. (2020), Ultimate Virtual Reality systems will require streaming bandwidths of 100 Gigabits per second, even after using a compression ratio of 20:1.  To achieve the bandwidths required for virtual reality, systems will be unable to waste any bandwidth, particularly if wireless systems are used as wireless systems typically provide less bandwidth than fiber systems.  Therefore, near-perfect time becomes a major requirement for these bandwidth speeds.

Challenging Forces

The major challenging forces are cost, size, and equipment maturity.  A quantum entanglement-based timing synchronization is a Technology Readiness Level 3 technology, where a proof of concept was developed (NASA, 2021).  However, the technology requires much engineering maturity to be practical.  Since the accuracy of GPS is three nanoseconds (Smithsonian, 2021), for a new method to be considered useful, the new methodology should provide an improvement of several orders of magnitude.  The equipment required should be small and inexpensive.  The equipment used to produce entanglement is large and expensive, and consists of lasers, crystals, and Indium Gallium Arsenide detectors, typical of laboratory tests (Cao et al., 2020).  Unfortunately, the Indium Gallium Arsenide detectors alone cost approximately $4000 dollars (Teledyne, 2021).   However, with the need for greater bandwidth and data rate speeds, a mechanism for improving timing accuracy is required.  A government organization, such as NASA, may be agreeable to prototype quantum entangled timing, especially if there is a free space application (Edwards, 2014). 

Methods

In order to successfully implement a quantum entangled-based timing synchronized device, a structured design process is required.  A structured design methodology is comprised of two parts:  hierarchy and regularity.  Hierarchies, similar to work breakdown structures, define all requisite design activities and partition the activities into small work packages.  In this way the entire design can be visualized by all team members.  Regularity means that common methods of implementing the small work packages are used; in other words, a same process or design feature is not re-designed each time it is needed (Trimberger et al., 1981).   Stage one of the design is to use quantum entanglement to provide clock corrections between a primary and secondary clock.  Accuracy (what timing improvement), distance (how far for free space, free space-terrestrial, and fiber), and persistence (how long does the entanglement last) will be the chief metrics.  The new timing system should provide an improvement of at least an order of magnitude or greater than three picoseconds to be considered useful.  This effort will determine the appropriate use cases and suitable environments, define requisite timing protocols, and evaluate the technology readiness, moving to a Technology Readiness Level of six of prototype demonstration in an operational environment (NASA, 2021).  The critical path for both protocol and technology will need to be defined.  Only after achieving the first stage will a determination be made if it is possible to provide a timing standard to all users.  For example, the quantum entangled devices may be too expensive and too bulky for an average consumer, but may be marketed to a data center-type user.  The chief requirement for stage two is size, weight, and power.  If achievable, then it will be possible to provide a timing device to all users that is synchronized to a national standard (e.g., connected to the Naval Observatory).

Analytical Plan

For an invention that is still in its infancy, with a technology readiness of two (NASA, 2021), government organizations should be used for the research.  The plan would be a partnership between NIST and NASA, where NIST provides a timing source adjustment using entangled photons to a timing server in NASA-Goddard.  The first test phase would use a direct fiber connection of approximately 30 miles between the two organizations.  The test would check the distance and persistence of entanglement, develop a timing adjustment protocol, and determine the accuracy of the timing adjustments.  Since the accuracy of GPS is three nanoseconds (Smithsonian, 2021), for a new method to be considered useful, the new methodology should provide an improvement of several orders of magnitude, or greater than three picoseconds (10^-12), preferably three femtoseconds (10^-15).   The second test would determine if free space optics could be used, potentially involving the Naval Research Laboratory (Rabinovich et al., 2015).  The Naval Research Laboratory is 16 miles from NASA-Goddard, so they may be willing to be part of the fiber test as well.  Or, NASA could contribute lessons learned from their Laser Communications Relay Demonstration project (NASA, 2022).  If either of those test phases are feasible, then NASA could suggest ways of improving size, weight, and power or turn over the prototypes to another organization.  NIST could provide a standard for the timing protocol that was developed from the testing.     

Anticipated Results

All inventions have negative and positive uses for society.  The negative uses are legion; this invention enables large amounts of bandwidth, with the near-real time ability to create virtual realities.  Further, this technology can be used for state-sponsored monitoring, making the methods used by the Chinese government for monitoring dissidents and the Uyghurs seem simplistic (Berg, 2021).  If the Chinese government has developed artificial intelligence to monitor emotions and is testing the software on the Uyghurs (Wakefield, 2021), near perfect time enabling large communications speeds would allow this type of monitoring in real time.  And, the virtual reality created by this bandwidth and timing would allow deep fakes unlike any that exist today (Mahmud & Sharmin, 2020). 

Positive uses for society with the enablement of virtual reality include medical uses, training, and entertainment (Berntsen et al., 2016).  Virtual reality at this scale enables holograms and holodecks, to include virtual meetings with holograms instead of Zoom.  This technology enables self-driving cars and other forms of self-driving transportation, since real time sensing and correcting is critical for these systems.

Conclusion

Society continues to push for higher bandwidths.  Improved synchronous timing will be required to provide the data rates and bandwidths required.  Ironically, society will not notice this invention per se, as time synchronization is too detailed and esoteric a concept for general society.  However, society wants the benefits of higher bandwidths, and will the embrace the benefits of virtual reality.  The entertainment potential alone of virtual reality is sufficient to drive the need for large data rates with the need for time synchronization.  The ability to create holograms and holodecks will have significant impact on the gaming industry, and working from home will be more feasible.  Diffusing this technology into society will be no different than implementing 4G or 5G service; society will notice that their phones and computers are more capable, but will not be concerned about the mechanisms.  Most users will enjoy the new games, better forms of long-distance relationships, new methods of education, self-driving vehicles, new ways of visualizing problems, true telemedicine, and so forth.  However, all new technology will have its doubters, and it is probable that various conspiracy theories will emerge, linking the new time synchronization and higher bandwidths to disease or aliens (Bruns et al., 2020).  Free space optical communications, particularly with its use of lasers, is an easy target for many conspiracy theories.  In conspiracy culture, lasers from space have started fires in several places, including New Zealand (Graham & Bodkin, 2020).  The cellular standard 5G causes COVID or cell towers themselves cause cancer (Bruns et al., 2020).  Worse, metaverses, which are early attempts at virtual reality, could be used to spread more believable conspiracy theories.  This is ironic, given that the conspiracy theories may disbelieve some of the core technology needed for the metaverse (Baker-White, 2022).  Education will be required to counter conspiracy theories, but this is necessary for any future new technology.  Countering the conspiracy theories with factual information is also required, as education alone may be insufficient. 

Precise timing synchronization has the potential to disrupt cryptography.  Legacy encryption standards will need to be relooked for weaknesses if femtosecond precision occurs.  However, quantum computing with its more powerful algorithms is likely to be more disruptive to encryption (Gidney & Ekerå, 2021).  NIST is currently planning encryption standards for the post-quantum computing world (NIST, 2022), and these algorithms are likely to withstand increase timing precision.  In a post quantum world, any device using legacy encryption would be effectively unencrypted, so there will be a need to remove legacy devices as quickly as possible.

A free society will need a universal right to privacy, at least as strong as that provided by the European Union (European Union, 2018), since all facets of life could be converted to data streams.  The European Union laws protect data, but do not confer a fundamental right to a person.  When the level of bandwidth is available to create ultimate virtual realities or to create dystopian monitoring, the fundamental right to privacy for a person is critical.  As an example, a person’s mannerisms, appearance, and environment could be stolen without their knowledge and placed into a virtual reality.  Artificial intelligence could be used to simulate a realistic persona from the stolen data.  Privacy laws must be written so that this type of occurrence is illegal.  Identity leakage will be more of a threat and stronger laws will be needed (Kasem-Madani et al., 2020).  Holograms of individuals could be used for a variety of illegal activities.  Cyber phishing would be much easier if a hologram of one’s aunt invited a person to click on a link.  Cyber education will need to be expanded, since the threats will have overtaken the defenses.  Education will be needed to ensure all users understand how to guard their privacy, and what legal recourse they have (Sørum et al., 2022) given how easy it will be to have no privacy.

Areas of Future Research

As data rates increase, there will always be a need for more precise timing systems.  Although this method proposes using quantum entanglement, other methods should be investigated.  Further, the supporting infrastructure for the increased bandwidth made available by precise timing should be studied.  In other words, if virtual reality requires 100 Gigabits per second, and our current 5G cell phone standard is approximately 25 Megabits per second, there is a huge mismatch between the wireless communications technology and the requirements.  Higher frequencies offer more bandwidth (Kurdoghlian et al., 2017), but for 100 Gigabits, the need is for free space optics communications system, as current radio frequency wireless is too slow.  Further, even existing fiber systems will have problems with virtual reality requirements, so improvements to that infrastructure are required.  Lastly, all encryption should be verified to ensure that it can withstand femtosecond timing precision.

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