Landauer Principle and Einstein Synchronization of Clocks: Ramsey Approach

We introduce a synchronization procedure for clocks based on the Einstein–Landauer framework. Clocks are modeled as discrete, macroscopic devices operating at a thermal equilibrium temperature T. Synchronization is achieved by transmitting photons from one clock to another; the absorption of a photon by a clock reduces the uncertainty in its timekeeping. The minimum energy required for this reduction in uncertainty is determined by the Landauer bound. We distinguish between the time-bearing and non-time-bearing degrees of freedom of the clocks. A reduction in uncertainty under synchronization in the time-bearing degrees of freedom necessarily leads to heat dissipation in the non-time-bearing ones. The minimum energy dissipation in these non-time-bearing degrees of freedom is likewise given by the Landauer limit. The same is true for mechanical synchronization of clocks. We also consider lattices of clocks and analyze synchronization using a Ramsey graph approach. Notably, clocks operating at the same temperature may be synchronized using photons of different frequencies. Each clock is categorized as either synchronized or non-synchronized, resulting in a bi-colored complete graph of clocks. By Ramsey’s theorem, such a graph inevitably contains a triad (or loop) of clocks that are either all synchronized or all non-synchronized. The extension of the Ramsey approach to infinite lattices of clocks is reported.