Multidimensional spatial entanglement transfer through our existing fiber optic network

Abstract

The global quantum network requires the distribution of entangled states over long distances, with significant advances already demonstrated using polarization, reaching approximately 1200 km in free space and 100 km in optical fiber. While Hilbert spaces with higher dimensionality, e.g., spatial modes of light, allows higher information capacity per photon, such spatial mode entanglement transport requires custom multimode fiber and is limited by decoherence induced mode coupling. Here we circumvent this by transporting multi-dimensional spatial entangled states down conventional single-mode fiber (SMF). We achieve this by entangling the spin-orbit degrees of freedom of a bi-photon pair, passing the polarization (spin) photon down the SMF while accessing multiple orbital angular momentum (orbital) sub-spaces with the other, thereby realizing multi-dimensional spatial entanglement transport. We show high fidelity hybrid entanglement preservation down 250 m of SMF across multiple 2 x 2 dimensions, which we confirm by quantum state tomography and Bell violation measures. This work offers an alternative approach to spatial mode entanglement transport that facilitates deployment in legacy networks across conventional fiber optic links.