Experimental demonstration of memory-enhanced quantum communication

Abstract

The ability to communicate quantum information over long distances is of central importance in quantum science and engineering¹. Although some applications of quantum communication such as secure quantum key distribution^2,3 are already being successfully deployed^4-7, their range is currently limited by photon losses and cannot be extended using straightforward measure-and-repeat strategies without compromising unconditional security⁸. Alternatively, quantum repeaters⁹, which utilize intermediate quantum memory nodes and error correction techniques, can extend the range of quantum channels. However, their implementation remains an outstanding challenge^10-16, requiring a combination of efficient and high-fidelity quantum memories, gate operations, and measurements. Here we use a single solid-state spin memory integrated in a nanophotonic diamond resonator^17-19 to implement asynchronous photonic Bell-state measurements, which are a key component of quantum repeaters. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we demonstrate high-fidelity operation that effectively enables quantum communication at a rate that surpasses the ideal loss-equivalent direct-transmission method while operating at megahertz clock speeds. These results represent a crucial step towards practical quantum repeaters and large-scale quantum networks^20,21.