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arXiv:2101.01422 · Physical Review Letters

Deterministic Distribution of Multipartite Entanglement and Steering in a Quantum Network by Separable States

Meihong Wang, Yu Xiang, Haijun Kang, Dongmei Han, Yang Liu, Qiongyi He, Qihuang Gong, Xiaolong Su, Kunchi Peng

Published Dec 30, 2020• 59 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

As two valuable quantum resources, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entanglement and steering play important roles in quantum-enhanced communication protocols. Distributing such quantum resources among multiple remote users in a network is a crucial precondition underlying various quantum tasks. We experimentally demonstrate the deterministic distribution of two- and three-mode Gaussian entanglement and steering by transmitting separable states in a network consisting of a quantum server and multiple users. In our experiment, entangled states are not prepared solely by the quantum server, but are created among independent users during the distribution process. More specifically, the quantum server prepares separable squeezed states and applies classical displacements on them before spreading out, and users simply perform local beam-splitter operations and homodyne measurements after they receive separable states. We show that the distributed Gaussian entanglement and steerability are robust against channel loss. Furthermore, one-way Gaussian steering is achieved among users that is useful for further directional or highly asymmetric quantum information processing.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.125.260506

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As two valuable quantum resources, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entanglement and steering play important roles in quantum-enhanced communication protocols. Distributing such quantum resources among multiple remote users in a network is a crucial precondition underlying various quantum tasks. We experimentally demonstrate the deterministic distribution of two- and three-mode Gaussian entanglement and steering by transmitting separable states in a network consisting of a quantum server and multiple users. In our experiment, entangled states are not prepared solely by the quantum server, but are created among independent users during the distribution process. More specifically, the quantum server prepares separable squeezed states and applies classical displacements on them before spreading out, and users simply perform local beam-splitter operations and homodyne measurements after they receive separable states. We show that the distributed Gaussian entanglement and steerability are robust against channel loss. Furthermore, one-way Gaussian steering is achieved among users that is useful for further directional or highly asymmetric quantum information processing.
The distribution of quantum correlations among remote users is a key procedure underlying many quantum information technologies. Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering, which is one kind of such a correlation stronger than entanglement, has been identified as a resource for secure quantum networks. We show that this resource can be established between two and even more distant parties by transmission of a system being separable from all the parties. For two-user scenarios, we design a protocol allowing one to distribute one-way Gaussian steering which can be used subsequently for one-sided device-independent (1sDI) quantum key distribution. Further, we extend the protocol to three-user scenarios to distribute richer steerability properties including one-to-multimode steering and collective steering which can be used for 1sDI quantum secret sharing. All the proposed protocols can be implemented with squeezed states, beam splitters, and displacements, and thus they can be readily realized experimentally. Our findings reveal that not only entanglement but even steering can be distributed via communication of a separable system. Viewed from a different perspective, the present protocols also demonstrate that one can switch multipartite states between different steerability classes by operations on parts of the states.
Quantum network plays a vitally important role in the practical application of quantum information, which requires the deterministic entanglement distribution among multiple remote users. Here, we propose a feasible scheme to deterministically distribute quadripartite entanglement by continuous-variable (CV) polarization states. The quantum server prepares the quadripartite CV polarization entanglement and distributes them to four remote users via optical fiber. In this way, the measurement of CV polarization entanglement is local oscillation free, which makes the long distance entanglement distribution in commercial optical fiber communication networks possible. Furthermore, both the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-like (GHZ-like) and cluster-like polarization entangled states can be distributed among four users by controlling the beam splitter network in quantum server, which are confirmed by the extended criteria for polarization entanglement of multipartite optical modes. The protocol provides the direct reference for experimental implementation and can be directly extended to quantum network with more users, which is essential for a metropolitan quantum network.
In this work, we propose an asymmetric multi-user access optical network with hierarchical structure in terms of steering ability. The N-partite system is generated by mixing two squeezed lights and N−2 vacuum modes at N−1 beam splitters. The asymmetry of this system can be constructed by choosing proper reflectivities of beam splitters and introducing asymmetric loss to channels of the network, such that the steering ability is distributed asymmetrically among users. By proper construction, one superior in the network possesses higher steering ability than any one of the remaining N−1 subordinates. We show how to accomplish the directional quantum steering between them, i.e., the superior can apparently steer any subordinate’s state, but it cannot always happen in the opposite direction. In addition, we quantify the thresholds of loss tolerance that will prevent the extraction of information of the superior by M(1≤M≤N−1) subordinates’ local measurements. An important feature of such a network is that the superior can send a secret message to certain subordinates without trustworthy assumptions about them and their apparatus. Our findings have applications in one-sided device-independent quantum communication protocol with multi-users.
Multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering is a useful quantum resource for quantum communication in quantum networks. It has potential applications in secure quantum communication, such as one-sided device-independent quantum key distribution and quantum secret sharing. By distributing optical modes of a multipartite entangled state to space-separated quantum nodes, a local quantum network can be established. Based on the existing multipartite EPR steering in a local quantum network, secure quantum communication protocol can be accomplished. In this manuscript, we present swapping schemes for EPR steering between two space-separated Gaussian multipartite entangled states, which can be used to connect two space-separated quantum networks. Two swapping schemes, including the swapping between a tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) entangled state and an EPR entangled state and that between two tripartite GHZ entangled states, are analyzed. Various types of EPR steering are presented after the swapping of two space-separated independent multipartite entanglement states without direct interaction, which can be used to implement quantum communication between two quantum networks. The presented schemes provide technical reference for more complicated quantum networks with EPR steering.
Abstract As a key element in quantum repeaters, entanglement swapping establishes entanglement between two independent entangled states. Besides entanglement, quantum steering has been identified as an essential quantum resource and has broad applications in quantum communication. Although entanglement swapping has been realized experimentally, quantum steering swapping still remains a challenge since the condition of quantum steering is stronger than that of entanglement. In this article, quantum steering swapping between a three‐mode and a two‐mode Gaussian entangled state in a lossy channel is demonstrated. By choosing the optimum gain in the classical channel that corresponds to the maximum transmission distance, the one‐way and two‐way steerabilities in a new three‐mode Gaussian state located in distant nodes are achieved. The obtained collective steerability from two users to one user has potential application in quantum secret sharing. The results make a crucial step toward applications of quantum steering in asymmetric quantum information processing.
We present a comprehensive phase diagram of quantum correlations in a three-mode Gaussian state generated by a tritter, driven by a two-mode squeezed vacuum and a coherent state. The coherent amplitude does not affect the correlation structure, which is solely governed by the initial squeezing. By systematically analyzing five physically relevant asymmetric loss configurations, we map out the exact resilience thresholds for entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering under all bipartite partitions. We reveal that EPR steering exhibits a pronounced directional asymmetry under loss, and its survival can be maintained over a much wider range of loss by strategically protecting a single channel. This tunable fragility provides practical guidance for one-sided device-independent quantum protocols in noisy asymmetric networks. We further confirm the limitations of Rényi-2 entropy in the quantification of entanglement and steering. Our results transform the abstract correlation hierarchy into a calculable, experimentally relevant guide for engineering robust quantum resources.