BACKGROUND

As satellites orbit the earth, they may communicate with one another to synchronize the clocks onboard the different satellites. Frequently, to precisely synchronize clocks, satellites use interferometric methods to establish the relative separations of the satellites. When satellites know the relative separation to neighboring satellites, they can transmit to and receive information from neighboring satellites that include accurate time and frequency information acquired from atomic clocks. The atomic clocks are used for the distribution of international time, to control the frequencies of broadcasted signals, and in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as the global positioning system (GPS), GLONASS, BeiDou, or Galileo.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods for dynamic locking of optical path times using entangled photons are provided. In certain embodiments, a system includes an optical source for generating pairs of bi-photons. The system also includes a plurality of tracer laser beam sources for generating a plurality of tracer laser beams. Further, the system includes a plurality of telescopes that emit the plurality of tracer laser beams and the pairs of bi-photons to a pair of remote reflectors, each bi-photon in the pairs of bi-photons traveling along an optical path in a pair of optical paths toward a corresponding remote reflector in the pair of remote reflectors, wherein the plurality of telescopes receive reflected bi-photons from the pair of remote reflectors. Additionally, the system includes a plurality of communication links, wherein the optical source communicates with a first remote reflector in the pair of remote reflectors through a first communication link in the plurality of communication links and with a second remote reflector in the pair of remote reflectors through a second communication link in the plurality of communication links. The optical source uses the plurality of tracer laser beams and the plurality of communication links to respectively point the pairs of bi-photons towards the pair of remote reflectors. Moreover, the system includes an interferometer that provides information regarding detection of the reflected bi-photons, wherein the optical source adjusts lengths of the pair of optical paths to be substantially equal based on the provided information.

