• Open Access

Reconfigurable Quantum Local Area Network Over Deployed Fiber

Muneer Alshowkan, Brian P. Williams, Philip G. Evans, Nageswara S.V. Rao, Emma M. Simmerman, Hsuan-Hao Lu, Navin B. Lingaraju, Andrew M. Weiner, Claire E. Marvinney, Yun-Yi Pai, Benjamin J. Lawrie, Nicholas A. Peters, and Joseph M. Lukens
PRX Quantum 2, 040304 – Published 6 October 2021

Abstract

Practical quantum networking architectures are crucial for scaling the connection of quantum resources. Yet quantum network testbeds have thus far underutilized the full capabilities of modern lightwave communications, such as flexible-grid bandwidth allocation. In this work, we implement flex-grid entanglement distribution in a deployed network for the first time, connecting nodes in three distinct campus buildings time synchronized via the Global Positioning System. We quantify the quality of the distributed polarization entanglement via log-negativity, which offers a generic metric of link performance in entangled bits per second. After demonstrating successful entanglement distribution for two allocations of our eight dynamically reconfigurable channels, we realize the first deployed fiber network demonstration of remote state preparation (RSP), a fundamental quantum communications protocol with utility for performing remote private “blind” quantum computing. We further demonstrate RSP not only at one location but over three nodes in three locations. In general, our results highlight an advanced paradigm for managing entanglement resources in quantum networks of ever-increasing complexity and service demands.

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  • Received 5 March 2021
  • Accepted 30 August 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.2.040304

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Quantum Information, Science & Technology

Authors & Affiliations

Muneer Alshowkan1,*, Brian P. Williams1, Philip G. Evans1, Nageswara S.V. Rao2, Emma M. Simmerman3, Hsuan-Hao Lu4, Navin B. Lingaraju4, Andrew M. Weiner4, Claire E. Marvinney5, Yun-Yi Pai5, Benjamin J. Lawrie5, Nicholas A. Peters1, and Joseph M. Lukens1,†

  • 1Quantum Information Science Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 2Autonomous and Complex Systems Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 3Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • 4School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
  • 5Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA

  • *alshowkanm@ornl.gov
  • lukensjm@ornl.gov

Popular Summary

Society is inextricably tied to the services the modern internet provides. The internet distributes vast amounts of digitized information in a multitude of formats. The broad array of electronic communications seamlessly connecting users globally has triggered a consistent trend of concerns encompassing privacy, security, and performance. The next generation of the internet, the ”quantum internet” promises to revolutionize networks and information sharing in unimaginable ways. The quantum internet will deliver solutions to complex security challenges and enable services that are unattainable using current technology, including powerful distributed quantum computing, quantum sensing, and ultrasecure communications.

The work outlined in this manuscript presents an experiment and network design that goes well beyond the current state of the art, making quantum networking practical and resource efficient. At the core is quantum entanglement, which has the counterintuitive property that enables distant quantum objects to share information, even though each individual object is in an indeterminable state. Entanglement is also the key resource to perform quantum teleportation, among other protocols. Here we demonstrate remotely reconfigurable entanglement distribution to adaptively harness it over a deployed fiber optic quantum network. Thus, making entanglement available for users when and where it is needed, similar to how data streams to smart devices, furnishing a scalable path toward more general quantum networks.

As we look to the future, entanglement will fuel new services deployed over increasingly complex quantum networks. The path to a quantum internet will not replace existing infrastructure, to the contrary it will require it. As such, it will be important to find ways for quantum and classical signals to ”coexist” in shared network infrastructures.

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Vol. 2, Iss. 4 — October - December 2021

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It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

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