Entanglement of single-atom quantum bits at a distance

Quantum information science involves the storage, manipulation and communication of information encoded in quantum systems, where the phenomena of superposition and entanglement can provide enhancements over what is possible classically. Large-scale quantum information processors require stable and addressable quantum memories, usually in the form of fixed quantum bits (qubits), and a means of transferring and entangling the quantum information between memories that may be separated by macroscopic or even geographic distances. Atomic systems are excellent quantum memories, because appropriate internal electronic states can coherently store qubits over very long timescales. Photons, on the other hand, are the natural platform for the distribution of quantum information between remote qubits, given their ability to traverse large distances with little perturbation. Recently, there has been considerable progress in coupling small samples of atomic gases through photonic channels, including the entanglement between light and atoms and the observation of entanglement signatures between remotely located atomic ensembles. In contrast to atomic ensembles, single-atom quantum memories allow the implementation of conditional quantum gates through photonic channels, a key requirement for quantum computing. Along these lines, individual atoms have been coupled to photons in cavities, and trapped atoms have been linked to emitted photons in free space. Here we demonstrate the entanglement of two fixed single-atom quantum memories separated by one metre. Two remotely located trapped atomic ions each emit a single photon, and the interference and detection of these photons signals the entanglement of the atomic qubits. We characterize the entangled pair by directly measuring qubit correlations with near-perfect detection efficiency. Although this entanglement method is probabilistic, it is still in principle useful for subsequent quantum operations and scalable quantum information applications.     

多光子T-C模型中二项式光场与两纠缠原子相互作用的原子纠缠演化

利用全量子理论,研究了多光子Tavis-Cumming模型(T-C模型)中两纠缠原子与二项式光场的纠缠演化特性,讨论了不同初始状态下二项式光场系数、原子间的偶极-偶极相互作用对纠缠演化特性的影响.计算结果表明,二项式光场系数影响两原子间纠缠演化的周期性,在5nπ(n=0,1,2,…)以外的其他nπ值附近的值域内出现纠缠现象.随着光场系数η的增大,出现纠缠现象的时域范围逐渐增加,两原子间的退纠缠时间缩短,原子间的偶极-偶极相互作用可对纠缠度的振荡和纠缠度的大小产生影响.     

Kerr介质中双模纠缠相干光场与Bell态原子相互作用系统的原子布居数演化

运用全量子理论和数值计算方法, 研究Kerr介质腔中处于Bell态的两个全同二能级纠缠原子与双模纠缠相干光场相互作用系统的原子布居数演化特性. 讨论了双原子体系的初态、 初始光场的平均光子数、 双模纠缠相干光场的纠缠程度及Kerr介质与双模光场的耦合强度对原子布居时间演化特性的影响. 结果表明, 当双原子体系的初态为|β₁₁〉时, 原子布居均不随时间变化; 当双原子体系的初态为|β₀₀〉,|β₀₁〉或|β₁₀〉且初始平均光子数达到一定值时, 演化特性呈现周期性的崩塌-回复效应, 并随初始光子数的增加, 其演化曲线的振荡频率增大, 振幅减小; 双模纠缠相干光场的纠缠程度不影响Rabi振荡频率, 但对振幅影响显著; Kerr介质与光场耦合系数达到一定值时, 对Rabi振荡频率和幅度及原子布居的崩塌-回复周期产生强烈影响.      

Measurement-induced entanglement for excitation stored in remote atomic ensembles

A critical requirement for diverse applications in quantum information science is the capability to disseminate quantum resources over complex quantum networks. For example, the coherent distribution of entangled quantum states together with quantum memory (for storing the states) can enable scalable architectures for quantum computation, communication and metrology. Here we report observations of entanglement between two atomic ensembles located in distinct, spatially separated set-ups. Quantum interference in the detection of a photon emitted by one of the samples projects the otherwise independent ensembles into an entangled state with one joint excitation stored remotely in 10(5) atoms at each site. After a programmable delay, we confirm entanglement by mapping the state of the atoms to optical fields and measuring mutual coherences and photon statistics for these fields. We thereby determine a quantitative lower bound for the entanglement of the joint state of the ensembles. Our observations represent significant progress in the ability to distribute and store entangled quantum states.     

两种情形下两原子的纠缠演化特性

通过negativity方法,研究了两个空间分离的纠缠二能级原子依次通过高Q粒子数场时,两个原子的纠缠演化特性,发现：初始原子状态和光场状态对两原子的纠缠有明显的影响．通过选择初始状态可以得到较长时间的最大纠缠．然后与两个纠缠原子同时在高Q粒子真空场时两原子纠缠的演化做了有意义的比较,结果表明：当反映原子初始状态的参数θ〈π/2时,两种情形的纠缠演化趋势大致相同．当θ〈π/2时,纠缠演化大不一样．     

Experimental demonstration of a BDCZ quantum repeater node

Quantum communication is a method that offers efficient and secure ways for the exchange of information in a network. Large-scale quantum communication (of the order of 100 km) has been achieved; however, serious problems occur beyond this distance scale, mainly due to inevitable photon loss in the transmission channel. Quantum communication eventually fails when the probability of a dark count in the photon detectors becomes comparable to the probability that a photon is correctly detected. To overcome this problem, Briegel, Dür, Cirac and Zoller (BDCZ) introduced the concept of quantum repeaters, combining entanglement swapping and quantum memory to efficiently extend the achievable distances. Although entanglement swapping has been experimentally demonstrated, the implementation of BDCZ quantum repeaters has proved challenging owing to the difficulty of integrating a quantum memory. Here we realize entanglement swapping with storage and retrieval of light, a building block of the BDCZ quantum repeater. We follow a scheme that incorporates the strategy of BDCZ with atomic quantum memories. Two atomic ensembles, each originally entangled with a single emitted photon, are projected into an entangled state by performing a joint Bell state measurement on the two single photons after they have passed through a 300-m fibre-based communication channel. The entanglement is stored in the atomic ensembles and later verified by converting the atomic excitations into photons. Our method is intrinsically phase insensitive and establishes the essential element needed to realize quantum repeaters with stationary atomic qubits as quantum memories and flying photonic qubits as quantum messengers.     

孤立原子和双模腔内原子之间的纠缠突然死亡研究

通过计算并发度和线性熵研究了初始处于纠缠态的两个两能级原子与双模场相互作用系统的纠缠动力学特性,讨论了原子初始纠缠度和腔场初始纠缠度对并发度的影响。结果表明,两原子之间的纠缠出现纠缠突然死亡(ESD)现象,纠缠死亡持续的时间长度和原子初始的纠缠度无关,然而依赖于腔场初始纠缠度;在整个时间演化过程中,两原子和腔场之间一直保持着纠缠状态。     

Kerr介质中非线性Jaynes-Cummings模型多光子跃迁的纠缠特性

在线性和非线性Kerr介质Jaynes Cummings(J C)模型中, 考虑多光子跃迁时原子和光场纠缠随时间的演化特性, 给出原子和光场的纠缠度与跃迁光子数、 失谐量、 初始光子数、 初始态参数及非线性项系数之间的解析关系, 并分析其对原子和光场的纠缠度随时间演化的影响. 结果表明, 在非线性Kerr介质中, 当光场与原子初始态接近最大纠缠态, 且跃迁光子数较大时, 纠缠态可稳定接近最大纠缠态, 有利于量子纠缠态的远距离传输.     

在纠缠原子与热光场相互作用系统中光场的特性

采用时间演化算符和数值计算方法,研究了两全同二能级纠缠原子与热态光场相互作用过程中光场的量子特性,结果表明:两原子初始纠缠度和光场初始强度对光场的量子特性均有影响.对于适当的初始热光场强度,光场显现出了非经典特性.这种非经典特性随着初始热光场强度的增加而增强,但这种非经典特性并不总是随着原子初始纠缠度的增大而增强,而是呈现出一种复杂的关系.     

Tunable ion-photon entanglement in an optical cavity

Proposed quantum networks require both a quantum interface between light and matter and the coherent control of quantum states. A quantum interface can be realized by entangling the state of a single photon with the state of an atomic or solid-state quantum memory, as demonstrated in recent experiments with trapped ions, neutral atoms, atomic ensembles and nitrogen-vacancy spins. The entangling interaction couples an initial quantum memory state to two possible light-matter states, and the atomic level structure of the memory determines the available coupling paths. In previous work, the transition parameters of these paths determined the phase and amplitude of the final entangled state, unless the memory was initially prepared in a superposition state (a step that requires coherent control). Here we report fully tunable entanglement between a single (40)Ca(+) ion and the polarization state of a single photon within an optical resonator. Our method, based on a bichromatic, cavity-mediated Raman transition, allows us to select two coupling paths and adjust their relative phase and amplitude. The cavity setting enables intrinsically deterministic, high-fidelity generation of any two-qubit entangled state. This approach is applicable to a broad range of candidate systems and thus is a promising method for distributing information within quantum networks.     

量子纠缠对原子偶极压缩的影响

研究2个纠缠的二能级原子中的1个原子在与相干光场相互作用过程中,纠缠参量θ对另1个原子的偶极压缩的影响.结果表明,原子偶极算符的∏1分量不存在压缩,而∏2分量则存在压缩,∏2分量的压缩随表征相互作用时间的参量g t和相干光振幅α的增大而增大,而随纠缠参量θ呈负单峰变化,当g t=0.7、α=10及θ=π/4时,∏2分量在产生最大压缩的情况下呈现最大的量子纠缠.     

量子纠缠对两个原子玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚隧穿动力学的影响

研究了两原子玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚系统初态处于纠缠相干态时的布居差和隧穿电流,详细讨论了量子纠缠对两个凝聚间的隧穿动力学的影响．     

Entanglement of spin waves among four quantum memories

Quantum networks are composed of quantum nodes that interact coherently through quantum channels, and open a broad frontier of scientific opportunities. For example, a quantum network can serve as a 'web' for connecting quantum processors for computation and communication, or as a 'simulator' allowing investigations of quantum critical phenomena arising from interactions among the nodes mediated by the channels. The physical realization of quantum networks generically requires dynamical systems capable of generating and storing entangled states among multiple quantum memories, and efficiently transferring stored entanglement into quantum channels for distribution across the network. Although such capabilities have been demonstrated for diverse bipartite systems, entangled states have not been achieved for interconnects capable of 'mapping' multipartite entanglement stored in quantum memories to quantum channels. Here we demonstrate measurement-induced entanglement stored in four atomic memories; user-controlled, coherent transfer of the atomic entanglement to four photonic channels; and characterization of the full quadripartite entanglement using quantum uncertainty relations. Our work therefore constitutes an advance in the distribution of multipartite entanglement across quantum networks. We also show that our entanglement verification method is suitable for studying the entanglement order of condensed-matter systems in thermal equilibrium.     

Experimental purification of two-atom entanglement

Entanglement is a necessary resource for quantum applications--entanglement established between quantum systems at different locations enables private communication and quantum teleportation, and facilitates quantum information processing. Distributed entanglement is established by preparing an entangled pair of quantum particles in one location, and transporting one member of the pair to another location. However, decoherence during transport reduces the quality (fidelity) of the entanglement. A protocol to achieve entanglement 'purification' has been proposed to improve the fidelity after transport. This protocol uses separate quantum operations at each location and classical communication to distil high-fidelity entangled pairs from lower-fidelity pairs. Proof-of-principle experiments distilling entangled photon pairs have been carried out. However, these experiments obtained distilled pairs with a low probability of success and required destruction of the entangled pairs, rendering them unavailable for further processing. Here we report efficient and non-destructive entanglement purification with atomic quantum bits. Two noisy entangled pairs were created and distilled into one higher-fidelity pair available for further use. Success probabilities were above 35 per cent. The many applications of entanglement purification make it one of the most important techniques in quantum information processing.     

Many-particle entanglement with Bose-Einstein condensates

The possibility of creating and manipulating entangled states of systems of many particles is of significant interest for quantum information processing; such a capability could lead to new applications that rely on the basic principles of quantum mechanics. So far, up to four atoms have been entangled in a controlled way. A crucial requirement for the production of entangled states is that they can be considered pure at the single-particle level. Bose-Einstein condensates fulfil this requirement; hence it is natural to investigate whether they can also be used in some applications of quantum information. Here we propose a method to achieve substantial entanglement of a large number of atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate. A single resonant laser pulse is applied to all the atoms in the condensate, which is then allowed to evolve freely; in this latter stage, collisional interactions produce entanglement between the atoms. The technique should be realizable with present technology.     

非对称偏振三维纠缠态的预警制备

在量子信息处理过程中,量子纠缠态扮演着极为重要的角色,其特殊的物理性质,使得量子信息具有经典信息所没有的许多新的特征,为信息传输和信息处理提供了新的物理资源.针对非对称偏振三维纠缠态的制备,基于交叉相位调制技术,以纠缠光子对和两个单光子比特作为初态,通过单光子与相干光的相互作用以及双光子干涉来实现.如果通过三个非计数单光子探测器来预警制备三维最大纠缠态,其概率为3/64.而如果采用特殊的分段式光子探测器,其概率可以提高到3/8,达到理论极限值.该方案在理论上是可行的,效率相对较高,而且预警式的制备为其后续在量子信息过程中的使用提供了很大的灵活性.     

Quantum storage of photonic entanglement in a crystal

Entanglement is the fundamental characteristic of quantum physics-much experimental effort is devoted to harnessing it between various physical systems. In particular, entanglement between light and material systems is interesting owing to their anticipated respective roles as 'flying' and stationary qubits in quantum information technologies (such as quantum repeaters and quantum networks). Here we report the demonstration of entanglement between a photon at a telecommunication wavelength (1,338?nm) and a single collective atomic excitation stored in a crystal. One photon from an energy-time entangled pair is mapped onto the crystal and then released into a well-defined spatial mode after a predetermined storage time. The other (telecommunication wavelength) photon is sent directly through a 50-metre fibre link to an analyser. Successful storage of entanglement in the crystal is proved by a violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality by almost three standard deviations (S = 2.64?±?0.23). These results represent an important step towards quantum communication technologies based on solid-state devices. In particular, our resources pave the way for building multiplexed quantum repeaters for long-distance quantum networks.     

Experimental long-lived entanglement of two macroscopic objects

Entanglement is considered to be one of the most profound features of quantum mechanics. An entangled state of a system consisting of two subsystems cannot be described as a product of the quantum states of the two subsystems. In this sense, the entangled system is considered inseparable and non-local. It is generally believed that entanglement is usually manifest in systems consisting of a small number of microscopic particles. Here we demonstrate experimentally the entanglement of two macroscopic objects, each consisting of a caesium gas sample containing about 1012 atoms. Entanglement is generated via interaction of the samples with a pulse of light, which performs a non-local Bell measurement on the collective spins of the samples. The entangled spin-state can be maintained for 0.5 milliseconds. Besides being of fundamental interest, we expect the robust and long-lived entanglement of material objects demonstrated here to be useful in quantum information processing, including teleportation of quantum states of matter and quantum memory.     

初始量子相干性对玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚系统中量子纠缠的影响

研究拉曼耦合玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚原子系统,在初始态具有量子相干性时纠缠相干态的生成,讨论了初始量子相干性对所生成的纠缠态的影响,指出初始量子相干性只影响所生成的纠缠相干态各组分之间的相位,不影响它们的振幅.     

量子纠缠控制的核磁共振实验演示

量子纠缠在量子信息领域中有着极重要的应用,是当前人们研究的热门课题之一[1-2].量子纠缠控制是一种量子相干控制,即系统的量子力学进程在我们的控制之下,并使之产生期望的结果[3-4].我们在一个3量子位的核磁共振量子计算机实现了2个方面量子纠缠控制:纠缠互换与存储.我们使用赝纯态作为系统的初始状态.通过赝纯态,系统的微观性质可用宏观信号表述出来.