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Physical Review A

Parallel and heralded multiqubit entanglement generation for quantum networks

Hui Zhou, Tao Li, Keyu Xia

Published Feb 21, 2023• 59 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum networks involving multiqubit entanglement allow exciting applications in quantum communication, quantum sensing, and distributed quantum computation. The efficiency of nonlocal entanglement generation through optical channels drops exponentially with the distance between network nodes. We present a parallel and heralded protocol for generating distributed multiqubit entanglement across multiple nodes. This is achieved by using a high-dimensional single photon that works as a common-data bus connecting all stationary qubits (i.e., silicon-vacancy electron spins), each of which is coupled to a single-sided optical cavity. Parallel multiqubit entangled states are heralded by the detection of the single photon after it interacts with each stationary qubit and passes through each photonic modulation circuit. This parallel protocol can significantly improve the efficiency of distributed entanglement generation and provides a viable route towards distributed multinode quantum networks.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.107.022428

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Quantum networks involving multiqubit entanglement allow exciting applications in quantum communication, quantum sensing, and distributed quantum computation. The efficiency of nonlocal entanglement generation through optical channels drops exponentially with the distance between network nodes. We present a parallel and heralded protocol for generating distributed multiqubit entanglement across multiple nodes. This is achieved by using a high-dimensional single photon that works as a common-data bus connecting all stationary qubits (i.e., silicon-vacancy electron spins), each of which is coupled to a single-sided optical cavity. Parallel multiqubit entangled states are heralded by the detection of the single photon after it interacts with each stationary qubit and passes through each photonic modulation circuit. This parallel protocol can significantly improve the efficiency of distributed entanglement generation and provides a viable route towards distributed multinode quantum networks.
Nonlocal entanglement generation among multiple remote quantum nodes provides a critical foundation for a variety of counterintuitive quantum applications. The exponential loss of photons transmitting over optical fibers sets an upper limit for entangling these quantum nodes. Here, we propose a resource-efficient and parallel protocol for entangling multiple remote quantum nodes via time-bin multiplexing. The transmission of a single photon with qudit-encoding in the time-bin mode enables entangling multiple stationary qubits in parallel when single photons and individual stationary qubit interfaces are used and photon-state modulations are properly introduced before subsequently impinging the photon into each interface. Our protocol can generate parallel multipartite entanglement among (N≥3) quantum nodes with the dimension of the photonic time bins independent of N, exponentially reducing the requirements for the coherence time of the stationary qubits and for the complexity of the photonic modulations. These distinct features make our protocol particularly advantageous for the development of multinode quantum networks.
Nonlocal entanglement generation among multiple remote quantum nodes provides a critical foundation for a variety of counterintuitive quantum applications. The exponential loss of photons transmitting over optical fibers sets an upper limit for entangling these quantum nodes. Here, we propose a resource-efficient and parallel protocol for entangling multiple remote quantum nodes via time-bin multiplexing. The transmission of a single photon with qudit-encoding in the time-bin mode enables entangling multiple stationary qubits in parallel, when single photons and individual stationary qubits interfaces are used and photon-state modulations are properly introduced before subsequently impinging the photon into each interface. Our protocol can generate parallel multipartite entanglement among (N≥3N\geq3N≥3) quantum nodes with the dimension of the photonic time bins independent of NNN, exponentially reducing the requirements for the coherence time of the stationary qubits and for the complexity of the photonic modulations. These distinct features make our protocol particularly advantageous for the development of multinode quantum networks.
Quantum entanglement between pairs of remote quantum memories (QMs) is a prerequisite for realizing many applications in quantum networks. Here, we present a heralded protocol for the parallel creation of quantum entanglement among multiple pairs of QMs placed in spatially separated nodes, where each QM, encoding a stationary qubit, couples to an optical cavity and deterministically interacts with single photons. Our protocol utilizes an entangled photon pair encoded in the high-dimensional time-bin degree of freedom to simultaneously entangle multiple QM pairs, and is efficient in terms of reducing the time consumption and photon loss during transmission. Furthermore, our approach can be extended to simultaneously support spatial-temporal multiplexing, as its success is heralded by the detection of single photons. These distinguishing features make our protocol particularly useful for long-distance quantum communication and large-scale quantum networks.
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.
We propose a parallel protocol for implementing distributed nonlocal quantum gates between spatially separated stationary qubits encoded in dual-species quantum emitters (i.e., color-center and superconducting qubits). By utilizing entangled photon pairs with distinct frequencies as a quantum data bus, our approach connects spatially separated devices without requiring quantum frequency conversion or preshared entanglement, while maintaining an always-ready and resource-efficient property for distributed quantum computing and networks. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of implementing parallel distributed nonlocal quantum gates on multiple pairs of spatially separated qubits using a single high-dimensional entangled photon pair, which directly benefits from the enhanced quantum capacity provided by optical qudit encoding. Our protocol establishes a scalable and practically implementable framework for distributed quantum networks, potentially enabling the development of future large-scale quantum computing architectures.
A general entanglement generation protocol between remote stationary qubits using single-photon reflection in a photonic network is explored theoretically. The nodes of the network consist of single qubits that are typically represented by the spin of a color center, each localized in a separate optical cavity and linked to other nodes via photonic links such as optical fibers. We derive a model applicable to a wide range of parameters and scenarios to describe the nodes and the local spin-photon interaction accounting for the pulsed (finite-bandwidth) nature of flying single photons while optimizing the rate and fidelity. We investigate entanglement generation between remote qubits and tailor protocols to a variety of physical implementations with different properties. Of particular interest is the regime of weak coupling and low cooperativity between the spin and cavity, which is relevant in the cases of the nitrogen- and silicon-vacancy centers in diamond. We also take into account the variability of the properties between realistic (stationary) nodes.