Polarization insensitive frequency conversion for an atom-photon entanglement distribution via a telecom network

Authors

Rikizo Ikuta, Toshiki Kobayashi, Tetsuo Kawakami, Shigehito Miki, Masahiro Yabuno, Taro Yamashita, Hirotaka Terai, Masato Koashi, Tetsuya Mukai, Takashi Yamamoto & Nobuyuki Imoto 

Abstract

Long-lifetime quantum storages accessible to the telecom photonic infrastructure are essential to long-distance quantum communication. Atomic quantum storages have achieved subsecond storage time corresponding to 1000 km transmission time for a telecom photon through a quantum repeater algorithm. However, the telecom photon cannot be directly interfaced to typical atomic storages. Solid-state quantum frequency conversions fill this wavelength gap. Here we report on the experimental demonstration of a polarization-insensitive solid-state quantum frequency conversion to a telecom photon from a short-wavelength photon entangled with an atomic ensemble. Atom–photon entanglement has been generated with a Rb atomic ensemble and the photon has been translated to telecom range while retaining the entanglement by our nonlinear-crystal-based frequency converter in a Sagnac interferometer.

Nature Communications：　https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04338-x