Research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has made significant advancements in the field of quantum networking, utilizing an array of ytterbium-171 atoms to establish communication within the telecom-band wavelength. This research, led by Professor Jacob P. Covey and recently published in Nature Physics, addresses a critical challenge of long-distance quantum communication which has historically relied on qubits operating at visible or ultraviolet wavelengths—less suitable for transmission through optical fibers.
Quantum networks hinge on the phenomenon of entanglement, where the state of one particle can instantaneously influence another, regardless of distance. However, converting signals from atomic qubits into telecom-band wavelengths can compromise their efficiency and introduce disruptive noise.
In their innovative study, Covey’s team demonstrated high-fidelity entanglement directly between atoms and photons in the telecommunication band. Co-author Xiye Hu highlighted that the long-lived metastable state of ytterbium-171 not only makes it a prime candidate for atomic clocks but also for novel applications in quantum computation and metrology.
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