2012/02/27 by Stephan Ritter, Christian Nölleke, Carolin Hahn +8 · 9 citations
Computer Science · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Computer science #Electrical engineering #Engineering #Open quantum system #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum channel #Quantum computer #Quantum entanglement #Quantum information #Quantum information science #Quantum mechanics #Quantum network #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Quantum technology #Qubit #Topology (electrical circuits) #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/nature11023
published as Nature 484, 195-200 (2012) · 8 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2012/02/27 · openalex publication_date 2012/04/01 · arxiv updated 2012/04/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Quantum networks are distributed quantum many-body systems with tailored topology and controlled information exchange. They are the backbone of distributed quantum computing architectures and quantum communication. Here we present a prototype of such a quantum network based on single atoms embedded in optical cavities. We show that atom-cavity systems form universal nodes capable of sending, receiving, storing and releasing photonic quantum information. Quantum connectivity between nodes is achieved in the conceptually most fundamental way: by the coherent exchange of a single photon. We demonstrate the faithful transfer of an atomic quantum state and the creation of entanglement between two identical nodes in independent laboratories. The created nonlocal state is manipulated by local qubit rotation. This efficient cavity-based approach to quantum networking is particularly promising as it offers a clear perspective for scalability, thus paving the way towards large-scale quantum networks and their applications.