Distributed Entanglement Distribution Using Multiple Entanglement Sources in WDM-based Quantum Optical Networks

Abstract

Quantum network implementations using single spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC)-based broadband entangled photon pair source (EPPS) have been reported recently. Here, leveraging the wavelength-correlation between entangled photon pairs, the traditional wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) method is utilized to route photons based on their wavelengths. From single EPPS, entangled photon pairs are distributed in a centralized way to different node pairs in the network. However, the number of nodes pairs that can be entangled in a network is limited by the number of entangled wavelength pairs that an EPPS can generate. To entangle a higher number of node pairs in a network, multiple EPPSs can be employed. In this work, we present a WDM-based entanglement distribution approach using multiple EPPSs in multi-hop repeaterless mesh optical networks. We experimentally characterize two EPPSs developed in-house and consider multiple such EPPSs in the network to perform network-level simulations. We consider heterogeneous entanglement demands requiring different entanglement bit (ebit) rates and entanglement visibility. For each entanglement demand, EPPS placement/selection, wavelength-pair assignment, and photon pair routing are performed considering the degradation in both ebit rate and visibility with fiber length and hops in the network. Two main findings of this study include: (i) a hybrid approach of one-photon (OP) and both-photon (BP) entanglement distribution provides higher flexibility in multi-EPPS placement and (ii) distributed entanglement distribution using multiple EPPSs enables better entanglement resource utilization and higher entanglement demand acceptance as compared to centralized entanglement distribution.