PhotoniX (Mar 2023)

Photonic-chip-based dense entanglement distribution

  • Shang-Yu Ren,
  • Wei-Qiang Wang,
  • Yu-Jie Cheng,
  • Long Huang,
  • Bing-Zheng Du,
  • Wei Zhao,
  • Guang-Can Guo,
  • Lan-Tian Feng,
  • Wen-Fu Zhang,
  • Xi-Feng Ren

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-023-00089-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract The dense quantum entanglement distribution is the basis for practical quantum communication, quantum networks and distributed quantum computation. To make entanglement distribution processes stable enough for practical and large-scale applications, it is necessary to perform them with the integrated pattern. Here, we first integrate a dense wavelength-division demultiplexing system and unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers on one large-scale photonic chip and demonstrate the multi-channel wavelength multiplexing entanglement distribution among distributed photonic chips. Specifically, we use one chip as a sender to produce high-performance and wideband quantum photon pairs, which are then sent to two receiver chips through 1-km standard optical fibers. The receiver chip includes a dense wavelength-division demultiplexing system and unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers and realizes multi-wavelength-channel energy-time entanglement generation and analysis. High quantum interference visibilities prove the effectiveness of the multi-chip system. Our work paves the way for practical entanglement-based quantum key distribution and quantum networks.