The research, led by Mikhail Lukin, Marko Loncar, and Hongkun Park, and published in Nature, involved entangling two quantum memory nodes over a 22-mile loop through Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown, and Boston. These nodes were located a floor apart in Harvard's Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engineering.
Quantum memory, critical for interconnected quantum computing, allows for complex network operations and information storage. The Harvard team's network is the longest between devices that can store, process, and move information. Each node, a small quantum computer, uses a silicon-vacancy center within a diamond to enhance light interaction.
These centers contain two qubits: an electron spin for communication and a nuclear spin for memory. The devices, housed in units at -459 Fahrenheit, can catch, store, and entangle bits of quantum information, solving signal loss issues.
First author Can Knaut explained, "Since the light is already entangled with the first node, it can transfer this entanglement to the second node. We call this photon-mediated entanglement."
The researchers leased optical fiber in Boston, indicating the feasibility of a quantum internet with similar lines. "Showing that quantum network nodes can be entangled in the real-world environment of a very busy urban area, is an important step towards practical networking between quantum computers," Lukin said.
The team is working to extend their network's performance by adding nodes and experimenting with more protocols.
Research Report:Entanglement of Nanophotonic Quantum Memory Nodes in a Telecom Network
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