Drone-based entanglement distribution towards mobile quantum networks

• 来源期刊: 国家科学评论（英文版）
• 关键词: daytime quantum communication mobile quantum network drone entanglement distribution
• 年，卷（期）: 2020,（5）
• 页码范围: 921-928
• 页数: 8页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz227

摘要

Satellites have shown free-space quantum-communication ability;however,they are orbit-limited from full-time all-location coverage.Meanwhile,practical quantum networks require satellite constellations,which are complicated and expensive,whereas the airborne mobile quantum communication may be a practical alternative to offering full-time all-location multi-weather coverage in a cost-effective way.Here,we demonstrate the first mobile entanglement distribution based on drones,realizing multi-weather operation including daytime and rainy nights,with a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt S-parameter measured to be 2.41 ± 0.14 and 2.49 ± 0.06,respectively.Such a system shows unparalleled mobility,flexibility and reconfigurability compared to the existing satellite and fiber-based quantum communication,and reveals its potential to establish a multinode quantum network,with a scalable design using symmetrical lens diameter and single-mode-fiber coupling.All key technologies have been developed to pack quantum nodes into lightweight mobile platforms for local-area coverage,and arouse further technical improvements to establish wide-area quantum networks with high-altitude mobile communication.