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arXiv:2512.00282 · IAF Space Communications and Navigation Symposium

Multi-Mode Quantum Memories for High-Throughput Satellite Entanglement Distribution

Connor Casey, Albert Williams, Catherine McCaffrey, Eugene Rotherham, Nathan Darby

quant-phphysics.atom-phphysics.opticsSubmitted Nov 29, 2025• Announced Dec 2, 2025• 0 citations
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Abstract

Quantum networking seeks to enable global entanglement distribution through terrestrial and free space channels; however, the exponential loss in these channels necessitates quantum repeaters with efficient, long lived quantum memories (QMs). Space based architectures, particularly satellite assisted links, offer a path to truly global connectivity, yet they demand QMs that are compatible with orbital factors such as infrared radiation and the unique challenges of operating aboard a satellite. In this work, we propose a multimode quantum memory (MMQM) for low Earth orbit (LEO) repeaters based on the atomic frequency comb (AFC) protocol. Our design integrates a hybrid alkali noble gas ensemble in an optical cavity, using alkali atoms for strong photon matter coupling and noble gas nuclear spins for minutes to hours coherence, all without the need for cryogenics. The architecture natively supports temporal and spectral multiplexing, enabling the storage of 100 modes to parallelize probabilistic operations and overcome light limited round trip times. Representative link budgets at $h = 500$ km with realistic apertures, $η_{\text{mem}}\gtrsim 70%$, and $t_{\text{buffer}}$ of several minutes predict improvements of up to two orders of magnitude in per pass success probability and instantaneous SKR relative to a memoryless dual downlink, with clear scaling in $N$. Our contributions are (i) a non cryogenic, space ready multimode memory, (ii) a systems analysis coupling mode count, storage time, and orbital geometry to achievable rate, and (iii) a near term implementation roadmap. Together, these results indicate feasibility with current to near term technology and provide a practical path toward a high rate, space enabled quantum internet.

Comments
17 pages, 6 figures, Published at IAC '25 & the code is available at https://github.com/connor-a-casey/quantum-memory-satellite

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Quantum networking seeks to enable global entanglement distribution through terrestrial and free space channels; however, the exponential loss in these channels necessitates quantum repeaters with efficient, long lived quantum memories (QMs). Space based architectures, particularly satellite assisted links, offer a path to truly global connectivity, yet they demand QMs that are compatible with orbital factors such as infrared radiation and the unique challenges of operating aboard a satellite. In this work, we propose a multimode quantum memory (MMQM) for low Earth orbit (LEO) repeaters based on the atomic frequency comb (AFC) protocol. Our design integrates a hybrid alkali noble gas ensemble in an optical cavity, using alkali atoms for strong photon matter coupling and noble gas nuclear spins for minutes to hours coherence, all without the need for cryogenics. The architecture natively supports temporal and spectral multiplexing, enabling the storage of 100 modes to parallelize probabilistic operations and overcome light limited round trip times. Representative link budgets at h=500h = 500h=500 km with realistic apertures, ηmem≳70η_{\text{mem}}\gtrsim 70%ηmem​≳70, and tbuffert_{\text{buffer}}tbuffer​ of several minutes predict improvements of up to two orders of magnitude in per pass success probability and instantaneous SKR relative to a memoryless dual downlink, with clear scaling in NNN. Our contributions are (i) a non cryogenic, space ready multimode memory, (ii) a systems analysis coupling mode count, storage time, and orbital geometry to achievable rate, and (iii) a near term implementation roadmap. Together, these results indicate feasibility with current to near term technology and provide a practical path toward a high rate, space enabled quantum internet.
We propose a non-cryogenic optical quantum memory for noble-gas nuclear spins based on the Atomic Frequency Comb (AFC) protocol. Owing to the hours-long coherence lifetimes of the noble-gas spins and the large bandwidth provided by the AFC independently of the optical depth, we estimate a time-bandwidth product of up to 9.7×10159.7 \times 10^{15}9.7×1015 for a realistic experimental configuration, using alkali-metal atoms as mediators. Leveraging this long-lived multimode memory, we propose a fiber-based quantum repeater scheme that could enable entanglement distribution across distances over 2000 km2000 \ \mathrm{km}2000 km with only 888 elementary links, operating fully without cryogenics. Finally, we discuss how these quantum memories can enhance rates in satellite quantum communication networks.
Abstract Global-scale quantum communication links will form the backbone of the quantum internet. However, exponential loss in optical fibres precludes any realistic application beyond few hundred kilometres. Quantum repeaters and space-based systems offer solutions to overcome this limitation. Here, we analyse the use of quantum memory (QM)-equipped satellites for quantum communication focussing on global range repeaters and memory-assisted (MA-) QKD, where QMs help increase the key rate by synchronising otherwise probabilistic detection events. We demonstrate that satellites equipped with QMs provide three orders of magnitude faster entanglement distribution rates than existing protocols based on fibre-based repeaters or space systems without QMs. We analyse how entanglement distribution performance depends on memory characteristics, determine benchmarks to assess the performance of different tasks and propose various architectures for light-matter interfaces. Our work provides a roadmap to realise unconditionally secure quantum communications over global distances with near-term technologies.
We propose a quantum repeater architecture that can operate without cryogenics. Each node in our architecture builds on a cell of hot alkali atoms and noble-gas spins which offer a storage time as long as a few hours. Such a cell of hybrid gases is placed in a ring cavity, which allows us to suppress the detrimental four-wave mixing (FWM) noise in the system. We investigate the protocol based on a single-photon source made of an ensemble of the same hot alkali atoms. A single photon emitted from the source is either stored in the memory or transmitted to the central station to be detected. We quantify the fidelity and success probability of generating entanglement between two remote ensembles of noble-gas spins by taking into account finite memory efficiency, channel loss, and dark counts in detectors. We describe how the entanglement can be extended to long distances via entanglement swapping operations by retrieving the stored signal. Moreover, we quantify the performance of this proposed repeater architecture in terms of repeater rates and overall entanglement fidelities and compare it to another recently proposed non-cryogenic quantum repeater architecture based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers and optomechanical spin-photon interfaces. As the system requires a relatively simple setup, it is much easier to perform multiplexing, which enables achieving rates comparable to the rates of repeaters with NV centers and optomechanics, while the overall entanglement fidelities of the present scheme are higher than the fidelities of the previous scheme. Our work shows that a scalable long-distance quantum network made of hot hybrid atomic gases is within reach of current technological capabilities.
A large scale quantum network requires the distribution of high-fidelity end-to-end entanglement. To overcome the range limitations inherent to terrestrial fiber, a leading architecture has emerged: satellite-based sources transmitting entanglement to quantum repeaters on the ground. By bridging the gap between abstract analytical frameworks and computationally heavy numerical simulations, this paper provides the first quantitative answer to the question of such a network's achievable performance with current and near-term space technology, while accounting for entanglement swapping and purification. This is achieved by integrating a detailed physical model of a satellite-to-ground link into an analytical entanglement resource estimation framework for quantum repeaters, enabling an optimization of the end-to-end entanglement rate. Our analysis, performed across leading quantum hardware platforms, shows that Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations combined with quantum repeaters employing Neutral Atom or Nitrogen and Silicon Vacancy qubits, could enable a global quantum network, distributing entanglement over distances up to 20,000 km, sufficient for connecting any two points on Earth. This work highlights the major bottlenecks in space and quantum hardware technologies, which need to be addressed, thereby guiding informed investments necessary for enabling a large scale quantum network.
The realization of a global quantum network holds the potential to enable groundbreaking applications such as secure quantum communication and blind quantum computing. However, building such a network remains a formidable challenge, primarily due to photon loss in optical fibers. In this work, we propose a quantum repeater architecture for distributing entanglement over intercontinental distances by leveraging low-Earth-orbit satellites equipped with spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) photon-pair sources and ground stations utilizing single-atom memories in optical cavities and single-photon detectors to implement the cavity-assisted photon scattering (CAPS) gates for high-fidelity entanglement mapping. The efficient entanglement swapping is achieved by performing high-fidelity Rydberg gates and readouts. We evaluate the entanglement distribution rates and fidelities by analyzing several key imperfections, including time-dependent two-photon transmission and time-dependent pair fidelity, for various satellite heights and ground station distances. We also investigate the impact of pair source fidelity and spin decoherence rate on the repeater performance. Furthermore, we introduce a spatial-frequency multiplexing strategy within this architecture to enhance the design's performance. Finally, we discuss in detail the practical implementation of this architecture. Our results show that this architecture enables entanglement distribution over intercontinental distances. For example, it can distribute over 10000 pairs per flyby over 10000 km with a fidelity above 90%, surpassing the capabilities of terrestrial quantum repeaters
Abstract Ensemble-based quantum memories are key to developing multiplexed quantum repeaters, able to overcome the intrinsic rate limitation imposed by finite communication times over long distances. Rare-earth ion doped crystals are main candidates for highly multimode quantum memories, where time, frequency and spatial multiplexing can be exploited to store multiple modes. In this context the atomic frequency comb (AFC) quantum memory provides large temporal multimode capacity, which can readily be combined with multiplexing in frequency and space. In this article, we derive theoretical formulas for quantifying the temporal multimode capacity of AFC-based memories, for both optical memories with fixed storage time and spin-wave memories with longer storage times and on-demand read out. The temporal multimode capacity is expressed in key memory parameters, such as AFC bandwidth, fixed-delay storage time, memory efficiency, and control field Rabi frequency. Current experiments in europium- and praseodymium-doped Y2SiO5 are analyzed within this theoretical framework, which is also tested with newly acquired data, as prospects for higher temporal capacity in these materials are considered. In addition we consider the possibility of spectral and spatial multiplexing to further increase the mode capacity, with examples given for praseodymium doped Y2SiO5.