Atomic memory keeps distant ions entangled for about 10 seconds
Quantum networks, systems that connect devices and allow them to exchange information encoded in the quantum states of particles, could enable more secure communications. To build these networks, physicists need to devise strategies that allow distant particles to share quantum states, preserving them long enough to perform calculations or enable communication between devices.
Researchers from the University of Oxford have developed a quantum network using trapped ions that can maintain entanglement between distant ions for about 10 seconds. Entanglement is a crucial resource for quantum computing, enabling devices to work together to perform calculations. The team achieved this by combining operations on atoms at each node (a location containing qubits) with connections between locations, forming a shared quantum state involving several atoms.
Strontium ions established the link between nodes by emitting photons that were measured at a central station, while calcium ions were used to store quantum information. By transferring entanglement to calcium ions, the researchers were able to preserve it for longer than the short timescales typical of network qubits. This approach has potential applications in distributed quantum computing systems, remote sensing, clock comparisons, and secure quantum communications.
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