We consider two memory nodes of a quantum network connected by flying qubits. We are particularly interested in the case where a flying qubit produced by one node has to be transformed before it can interface efficiently with the next node. Such transformations can be utilized as a key part of the distribution of quantum states and hence entanglement between the nodes of a hybrid quantum network linking together different quantum technologies. We show how and why the probability of interfacing successfully is determined by the overlap of the spectral shape of the actual flying qubit and the ideal shape. This allows us to analytically and numerically analyze how the probability of success is impacted by realistic errors, and show the utility of our scheme (in consonance with known error correction methods) in connecting hybrid nodes of a quantum network. We focus here on a concrete implementation in which the memory nodes consist of three-level atoms in cavities and the flying qubits are photons.
We consider two memory nodes of a quantum network connected by flying qubits. We are particularly interested in the case where a flying qubit produced by one node has to be transformed before it can interface efficiently with the next node. Such transformations can be utilized as a key part of the distribution of quantum states and hence entanglement between the nodes of a hybrid quantum network linking together different quantum technologies. We show how and why the probability of interfacing successfully is determined by the overlap of the spectral shape of the actual flying qubit and the ideal shape. This allows us to analytically and numerically analyze how the probability of success is impacted by realistic errors, and show the utility of our scheme (in consonance with known error correction methods) in connecting hybrid nodes of a quantum network. We focus here on a concrete implementation in which the memory nodes consist of three-level atoms in cavities and the flying qubits are photons.
Recent efforts have succeeded in producing quantum networks in which quantum information can be stored, transferred and processed across multiple nodes on a metropolitan scale. A key remaining challenge is to enhance the capabilities of individual nodes, providing precise and robust control over multiple qubits. Here we demonstrate coherent control in a hybrid quantum node based on a diamond colour centre. We entangle three types of qubit: an electron spin as an interface qubit, a nuclear spin with long memory time and a flying photonic qubit. These qubits’ frequencies span three distinct regimes, from the optical to the radio-frequency domain. By incorporating two additional nuclear spins, we encode three memory qubits into a logical state using a repetition code and entangle this logical qubit with a photonic qubit. We repeatedly read out the error syndromes of memory qubits using the electron interface qubit, then apply real-time feedback operations to correct bit-flip errors. We perform our protocol for up to 12 rounds and demonstrate an improvement in the logical–photonic joint state population compared with its uncorrected counterpart. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of several key functionalities required for quantum repeaters to operate in full-fledged quantum networks. Nodes in a quantum network must be able to interface with photonic qubits as well as perform local quantum computations. The quantum node device presented here is capable of storing quantum information and correcting bit-flip errors.
Recent breakthroughs have ushered the quantum network into a new era, where quantum information can be stored, transferred, and processed across multiple nodes on a metropolitan scale. A key challenge in this new era is enhancing the capabilities of individual nodes, providing precise and robust control over multiple qubits and advanced functionality for scalable quantum networks. Here, we report on precise and complex control in a hybrid quantum node based on a diamond color center. We demonstrate hybrid coherent control by entangling three types of qubits: an electron spin as an interface qubit, a nuclear spin with long memory time, and a flying photonic qubit, with their qubit frequencies spanning three distinct regimes from the optical domain to the rf domain. By incorporating two additional memory qubits, we encode three memory qubits into a logical state using the three-qubit repetition code and entangle this logical qubit with a photonic qubit. Leveraging hybrid qubits and precise control, we repeatedly read out the error syndromes of memory qubits through the electron spin, serving as an auxiliary qubit, then apply a real-time feedback operation to correct bit-flip errors. We execute and verify active error correction for up to twelve rounds and demonstrate the improvement over the uncorrected counterpart. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of several key functionalities for next-generation quantum repeaters, paving the way towards full-fledged metropolitan-scale quantum networks for a wide range of practical applications.
Hybrid integrated quantum photonic circuits have the potential to scale up the number of quantum nodes and to build a network with distributed quantum-information-processing units at affordable resources. A central need of such systems is to have near-unity success-rate state transfer between the quantum nodes. This turns out to be a grand challenge since stringent conditions of spatial mode matching and time-reversal symmetry between the sending and receiving nodes have to be simultaneously satisfied. Here we devise a type of hybrid quantum node consisting of a single solid-state quantum system and a coupled-cavity structure toward achieving perfect state transfer between two distant nodes connected via waveguides. The hybrid node possesses flexibility in tailoring the temporal profile of the emitted single-photon wave packet without any dynamic modulation. In particular, we show it could emit time-reversal symmetric single-photon wave packets and fully couple the emission to the waveguide, fulfilling the conditions for perfect quantum state transfer. We develop a complete theoretical framework and provide a clear physical picture of the protocol for transferring a superposition state. We show ideally the simple node structures with one, two, and three chain-coupled microring resonators could lead to total success rates of 90.5%, 97.5%, and 99.3%, respectively. We then further discuss the influence of imperfections and experimental realizations of our scheme with integrated quantum photonics.
Entanglement distributed over a set of individually addressable qubit nodes is the enabling resource for a plethora of applications ranging from tests of quantum physics to secure and modular quantum information networks. Entanglement between two memory qubits has been realized on various platforms, but extension to more nodes remains rare and formidably challenging. The principal bottleneck is the efficiency of the light-matter interfaces connecting the qubit nodes to their communication channels. Here, we efficiently generate, distribute and store a three-qubit entangled state across three independent laboratories containing single atoms coupled to optical resonators. We sequentially entangle the atoms pairwise, two by heralded photonic entanglement swapping and two by heralded state transfer. We reach a three-qubit entanglement fidelity of 77(1)% and an entanglement lifetime above 200us. The observed qubit correlations violate Mermin's inequality while closing the detection loophole. Our three-qubit entanglement-generation efficiency is 0.16%. This unprecedented efficiency of our scheme establishes a clear route towards multi-node quantum networks.
Abstract We put forward a proposal to construct a quantum network using a hybrid cavity–magnonics system as with two nodes. At each node, a cascade of the quantum system consists of cavity–magnonics and magnonic–qubit interactions, and the quantum interface between the flying qubit and superconducting qubit is mediated by a magnon. Considering the phase resulting from the distance between the two nodes, we derive a master equation for two superconducting qubits and show that, by adiabatically controlling the cavity–magnon coupling, perfect quantum state transfer between two qubits can be realized. We also consider the influence of intrinsic dissipation of the magnetic mode and the cavity mode. In an unideal case, the design time-dependent cavity–magnonics couplings obtained in the ideal case are still employed. Our results show that low intrinsic loss in the magnetic mode and the cavity mode is still welcome for the high fidelity of state transfer.
The ability to control the optical frequency of quantum state carriers (i.e. photons) is an important functionality for future quantum networks. It allows all matter quantum systems - nodes of the network - to be compatible with the telecommunication C-band, therefore enabling long distance fiber quantum communication between them. It also allows dissimilar nodes to be connected with each other, thus resulting in heterogeneous networks that can take advantage of the different capabilities offered by the diversity of its constituents. Quantum memories are one of the building blocks of a quantum network, enabling the storage of quantum states of light and the entanglement distribution over long distances. In our group, two different types of memories are investigated: a cold atomic ensemble and an ion-doped crystal. In this thesis I investigate the quantum frequency conversion of narrow-band photons, emitted or absorbed by optical quantum memories, with two different objectives: the first one is to connect quantum memories emitting or absorbing visible single photons with the telecommunication wavelengths, where fiber transmission loss is minimum. The second and main goal is to study the compatibility between disparate quantum nodes, emitting or absorbing photons at different wavelengths. More precisely the objective is to achieve a quantum connection between the two optical memories studied using quantum frequency conversion techniques. The main core of this work is the quantum frequency conversion interface that bridges the gap between the cold ensemble of Rubidium atoms, emitting photons at 780nm, and the Praseodymium ion doped crystal, absorbing photons at 606nm. This interface is composed of two different frequency conversion devices, where a cascaded conversions takes place: the first one converts 780nm photons to the telecommunication C-band, and the second one converts them back to visible, at 606nm. This comes with several challenges such as conversion efficiency, phase stability and parasitic noise reduction, which are important considerations to show the conservation of quantum behaviors through the conversion process. This work can be divided in three parts. In a first one, we built a quantum frequency conversion interface between 606nm and the C-band wavelength, capable of both up and down-conversion of single photon level light. We also characterized the noise processes involved in this specific conversion. In the down-conversion case we showed that memory compatible heralded single photons emitted from a photon pair source preserve their non-classical properties through the conversion process. In the up-conversion case, we showed the storage of converted telecom photons in the praseodymium doped crystal, and their retrieval with high signal to noise ratio. The second part of the work was devoted to the conversion of photons from an emissive Rubidium atomic quantum memory to the telecom C band. In this work we converted the heralding photons from the atomic ensemble and measured non-classical correlations between a stored excitation and a C-band photon, necessary for quantum repeater applications. In the last part of the thesis, we setup the full frequency conversion interface and showed that heralded photons emitted by the atomic ensemble are converted, stored in the solid state memory and retrieved with high signal to noise ratio. We demonstrated that a single collective excitation stored in the atomic ensemble is transfered to the crystal by mean of a single photon at telecom wavelength. We also showed time-bin qubit transfer between the two quantum memories. This work represents the first proof of principle of a photonic quantum connection between disparate quantum memory nodes. The results presented in this thesis pave the way towards the realization of modular and hybrid quantum networks.