Led by Prof. Jacob P. Covey, the research team introduced a new approach to quantum networking employing arrays of ytterbium-171 atoms, optimized for long-distance optical fiber communication at telecom wavelengths.

A mid-circuit networking protocol was engineered to preserve qubit coherence during networking, with prospects of reaching 99% fidelity through technical improvements like cavity-enhanced photon collection.

Scientists at the University of Illinois developed a scalable quantum communication network using ytterbium-171 atoms to facilitate entanglement at telecom-band wavelengths suitable for optical fiber transmission.

This protocol maintained high entanglement fidelity and coherence, with potential upgrades aiming for near-perfect fidelity, crucial for reliable quantum network operations.

The developed architecture enables parallelized collection of single photons via a fiber array, ensuring uniform high entanglement fidelity and minimal crosstalk across multiple sites, supporting scalable quantum communication.

Recent advancements in quantum networking research demonstrate the potential for linking quantum processors and atomic clocks, with ongoing efforts to extend these systems for high-rate, long-distance communication using macroscopic confocal cavities.

The research highlights the compatibility of atom arrays with fiber arrays, enabling effective parallel task handling and paving the way for practical quantum networks that can support remote atom-atom entanglement and improved network performance.

Using time-bin encoding and a one-dimensional atom array imaged onto a fiber array, researchers achieved efficient, parallel entanglement generation with negligible crosstalk, advancing the scalability of quantum networks.

A study led by Professor Jacob P. Covey, published in Nature Physics, addresses the challenge of converting atomic qubits into telecom wavelengths without efficiency loss or noise, which is crucial for enabling long-distance quantum communication.

The team achieved high-fidelity entanglement between ytterbium-171 atoms and photons at 1389 nm, leveraging the atom’s long-lived metastable state, which holds significance for quantum computation and atomic clock applications.

Future developments include integrating atom arrays into confocal cavities to boost photon collection efficiency and extending time-bin entanglement to establish remote atom-atom entanglement across different setups, advancing large-scale quantum network capabilities.

Researchers successfully demonstrated high-fidelity, time-bin encoded atom-photon entanglement directly in the telecommunication band at 1389 nm using ytterbium-171 atoms, which are also used in optical atomic clocks.