CLOCK SYNCHRONIZATION BASED ON TEMPORAL PHOTON BUNCHING EFFECT

A method of clock synchronization between first and second clocks on first and second ends, respectively, of an optical channel; and a system for clock synchronization between first and second clocks on first and second ends, respectively, of an optical channel. The method comprises the steps of generating light exhibiting thermal photon statistics, as opposed to a Poissonian timing statistic of coherent laser light; transmitting a portion of the light though the optical channel; determining timing information of single photon detection events of photons of the light at the first side of the optical channel using the first clock and at the second side of the optical channel using the second clock; using a temporal signature imprinted on the light as a result of the thermal photon statistics to identify temporal correlations between the single photon detection events at the first side of the optical channel and the single photon detection events at the second side of the optical channel; and determining an offset between the first and second clocks based on the identified temporal correlations.