Quantum Networks with Ordered Arrays of Neutral Atoms in Optical Cavities

Quantum networks offer vast potential for numerous applications, including secure communication, distributed quantum computing, precision sensing, and clock synchronisation. Most quantum network links reported so far consist of quantum nodes connected by a photonic link where each node each comprising only one or two individually controllable stationary qubits. However, this simple architecture faces substantial challenges in practical applications. Intrinsic optical losses and seemingly unavoidable errors make quantum information exchange across the network slow and unreliable. A promising solution involves employing larger qubit registers at each node. This approach offers two key advantages: first, the redundancy enables error correction through protocols such as entanglement distillation or quantum error correction. Second, multiple qubits enable multiplexed quantum protocols, boosting communication rates beyond limits imposed by optical losses and channel lengths.

The challenge consists of creating a scalable register of individually controllable qubits, each efficiently coupled to a photonic channel for network connectivity. In this talk, I will present a novel platform that integrates neutral atom optical tweezers with an optical cavity. Tweezers enable the generation and individual control of an ordered array of single-atom qubits, while the optical cavity provides a robust light-matter interface for entangling each atomic qubit with a single photon. As an initial application, I will discuss and show the multiplexed generation of atom-photon entanglement with near-unity generation-to-detection efficiency. In future, the integration of local quantum logic via Rydberg-mediated quantum gates could enable the construction of multiple nodes based on this technology, paving the way for a distributed and scalable quantum machine.