22 May 2001 | L.-M. Duan1,2*, M. Lukin3, J. I. Cirac1†, and P. Zoller1
The paper presents a novel approach for long-distance quantum communication using atomic ensembles and linear optics. The scheme aims to overcome the exponential decay of entanglement fidelity over long lossy channels by implementing quantum repeaters. The key components include laser manipulation of atomic ensembles, beam splitters, and single-photon detectors. The entanglement generation involves exciting a cloud of atoms with off-resonant laser pulses, leading to the creation of a symmetric collective atomic mode. This mode is then used to generate entanglement between distant ensembles through entanglement swapping, which is robust against realistic noise. The resulting entangled states are used for quantum communication protocols such as quantum teleportation, cryptography, and Bell inequality detection. The scheme is designed to scale polynomially with the communication distance, making it feasible for long-distance quantum communication. The paper also discusses the built-in entanglement purification in each step of the process, ensuring that the communication fidelity remains nearly perfect despite realistic noise and imperfections.The paper presents a novel approach for long-distance quantum communication using atomic ensembles and linear optics. The scheme aims to overcome the exponential decay of entanglement fidelity over long lossy channels by implementing quantum repeaters. The key components include laser manipulation of atomic ensembles, beam splitters, and single-photon detectors. The entanglement generation involves exciting a cloud of atoms with off-resonant laser pulses, leading to the creation of a symmetric collective atomic mode. This mode is then used to generate entanglement between distant ensembles through entanglement swapping, which is robust against realistic noise. The resulting entangled states are used for quantum communication protocols such as quantum teleportation, cryptography, and Bell inequality detection. The scheme is designed to scale polynomially with the communication distance, making it feasible for long-distance quantum communication. The paper also discusses the built-in entanglement purification in each step of the process, ensuring that the communication fidelity remains nearly perfect despite realistic noise and imperfections.