Metropolitan-scale heralded entanglement of solid-state qubits
Arian Stolk, Kian L. van der Enden, Marie-Christine Roehsner, Ingmar te Raa, Pieter Botma, Joris van Rantwijk, Benjamin Biemond, Ronald Hagen, R.W. Herfst, Wouter D. Koek, Arjan J. H. Meskers, René Vollmer, E.J. van Zwet, Matthew Markham, Andrew Mark Edmonds, Jan Fabian Geus, Florian Elsen, Bernd Jungbluth, C. Haefner, Christoph Tresp, J. Stühler, Stephan Ritter, Ronald Hanson
A key challenge towards future quantum internet technology is connecting quantum processors at metropolitan scale. Here, we report on heralded entanglement between two independently operated quantum network nodes separated by 10km. The two nodes hosting diamond spin qubits are linked with a midpoint station via 25km of deployed optical fiber. We minimize the effects of fiber photon loss by quantum frequency conversion of the qubit-native photons to the telecom L-band and by embedding the link in an extensible phase-stabilized architecture enabling the use of the loss-resilient single-photon entangling protocol. By capitalizing on the full heralding capabilities of the network link in combination with real-time feedback logic on the long-lived qubits, we demonstrate the delivery of a predefined entangled state on the nodes irrespective of the heralding detection pattern. Addressing key scaling challenges and being compatible with different qubit systems, our architecture establishes a generic platform for exploring metropolitan-scale quantum networks.
A key challenge towards future quantum internet technology is connecting quantum processors at metropolitan scale. Here, we report on heralded entanglement between two independently operated quantum network nodes separated by 10km. The two nodes hosting diamond spin qubits are linked with a midpoint station via 25km of deployed optical fiber. We minimize the effects of fiber photon loss by quantum frequency conversion of the qubit-native photons to the telecom L-band and by embedding the link in an extensible phase-stabilized architecture enabling the use of the loss-resilient single-photon entangling protocol. By capitalizing on the full heralding capabilities of the network link in combination with real-time feedback logic on the long-lived qubits, we demonstrate the delivery of a predefined entangled state on the nodes irrespective of the heralding detection pattern. Addressing key scaling challenges and being compatible with different qubit systems, our architecture establishes a generic platform for exploring metropolitan-scale quantum networks.
A key challenge toward future quantum internet technology is connecting quantum processors at metropolitan scale. Here, we report on heralded entanglement between two independently operated quantum network nodes separated by 10 kilometers. The two nodes hosting diamond spin qubits are linked with a midpoint station via 25 kilometers of deployed optical fiber. We minimize the effects of fiber photon loss by quantum frequency conversion of the qubit-native photons to the telecom L-band and by embedding the link in an extensible phase-stabilized architecture enabling the use of the loss-resilient single-click entangling protocol. By capitalizing on the full heralding capabilities of the network link in combination with real-time feedback logic on the long-lived qubits, we demonstrate the delivery of a predefined entangled state on the nodes irrespective of the heralding detection pattern. Addressing key scaling challenges and being compatible with different qubit systems, our architecture establishes a generic platform for exploring metropolitan-scale quantum networks.
Solid-state spin-photon interfaces promise to scale quantum networks through on-chip photonic integration and multiplexed entanglement generation. To date, remote entanglement between integrated emitters has been realized only in cavity-enhanced systems, where fabrication yield and spectral matching remain major obstacles. Here we demonstrate heralded remote entanglement between diamond tin-vacancy spin qubits embedded in separate on-chip waveguides. Combining intrinsically efficient photon emission with a broadband waveguide architecture provides high device yield and obviates the need for spectral matching to cavity modes. We realize coherent optical and spin control and achieve high-visibility two-photon interference. By combining photon-mediated entanglement generation with real-time feedforward, we produce a consistent entangled state independent of the heralding pattern. These results establish waveguide-integrated tin-vacancy centers as a compelling platform for scalable quantum network nodes.
Entanglement generation between remote qubit systems is the central tasks for quantum communication. Future quantum networks will have to be compatible with low-loss telecom bands and operate with large separation between qubit nodes. Single-click heralding schemes can be used to increase entanglement rates at the cost of needing an optically phase-synchronized architecture. In this paper we present such a phase synchronization scheme for a metropolitan quantum network, operating in the low-loss telecom L band. To overcome various challenges such as communication delays and optical power limitations, the scheme consists of multiple tasks that are individually stabilized. We characterize each task, identify the main noise sources, motivate the design choices, and describe the synchronization schemes. The performance of each of the tasks is quantified by a transfer-function measurement that investigates the frequency response and feedback bandwidth. Finally we investigate the resulting optical phase stability of the fully deployed system over a continuous period of 10 h, reporting a short-term stability standard deviation of σ ≈ 30 ∘ and a long-term stability of the average optical phase to within a few degrees. The scheme presented served as a key enabling technology for a nitrogen-vacancy-center-based metropolitan quantum link. This scheme is of interest for other quantum network platforms that benefit from an extendable and telecom-compatible phase-synchronization solution.
Solid-state quantum light sources offer a scalable pathway for interfacing stationary spin qubits with flying photonic qubits, forming the backbone of future quantum networks. Telecom-band spin-photonic qubits, operating in the 1260-1675 nm wavelength range, are particularly well-suited for long-distance quantum communication due to minimal loss in standard optical fibers. Achieving scalability, however, hinges on fulfilling several stringent criteria: coherent spin-state control, deterministic and indistinguishable single-photon emission, and integration with nanophotonic structures that enhance radiative properties, such as lifetime, coherence, and photon indistinguishability. This study explores the state-of-the-art spin-photonic qubits across solid-state platforms, including diamond color centers, silicon carbide defect centers, quantum dots, and two-dimensional materials. Special attention is given to silicon-based emitters, particularly G, T, C- and Ci-centers, which promise monolithic integration with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology and telecom-band operation. We classify these systems based on spin-photon interface availability, CMOS process compatibility, and emitter scalability. We also discuss recent advances in cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED), including Purcell enhancement and quality factor engineering in integrated photonic (circuits) environments. The work highlights emerging demonstrations of quantum networking over metropolitan scales and outlines the trajectory toward chip-scale quantum photonic integrated circuits (QPICs). It combines deterministic emitter creation, coherent spin manipulation, and quantum information processing. These developments pave the way for global quantum networks, enabling secure communication, distributed quantum computing, and quantum-enhanced sensing.
The ability to distribute heralded entanglement between distant matter nodes is a primitive for the implementation of large-scale quantum networks. Some of the most crucial requirements for future applications include high heralding rates at telecom wavelengths, multiplexed operation, and on-demand retrieval of stored excitations for synchronization of separate quantum links. Despite tremendous progress in various physical systems, the demonstration of telecom-heralded entanglement between quantum nodes featuring both multiplexed operation and on-demand retrieval remains elusive. In this work, we combine narrow band parametric photon-pair sources and solid-state quantum memories based on rare-earth doped crystals to demonstrate telecom-heralded entanglement between spatially separated spin-wave quantum memories with fully adjustable recall time and temporal multiplexing of 15 modes. In a first experiment, the storage in the spin state is conditioned on the entanglement heralding. We take advantage of the control over readout pulse phase to achieve feedforward conditional phase shifts on the stored photons depending on which heralding detector clicked. We exploit this effect to double the entanglement heralding rate for a given quantum state up to 510 counts / s , with an associated detection rate of 0.32 counts / s and measured positive concurrence by up to 6 standard deviations. In a second experiment, we simulate the communication time of a long-distance link by implementing an unconditional storage scheme with a dead time of 100 μ s . We take advantage of temporal multiplexing to increase the entanglement rates by a factor of 15 with respect to single mode storage, reaching a value of 22 counts / s per heralding detector. These results establish our architecture as a prime candidate for the implementation of scalable high-rate quantum network links.
The distribution of entangled states across the nodes of a future quantum internet will unlock fundamentally new technologies. Here, we report on the realization of a three-node entanglement-based quantum network. We combine remote quantum nodes based on diamond communication qubits into a scalable phase-stabilized architecture, supplemented with a robust memory qubit and local quantum logic. In addition, we achieve real-time communication and feed-forward gate operations across the network. We demonstrate two quantum network protocols without postselection: the distribution of genuine multipartite entangled states across the three nodes and entanglement swapping through an intermediary node. Our work establishes a key platform for exploring, testing, and developing multinode quantum network protocols and a quantum network control stack.