Quantum teleportation is a key ingredient of quantum networks and a building block for quantum computation. Teleportation between distant material objects using light as the quantum information carrier has been a particularly exciting goal. Here we d
emonstrate a new element of the quantum teleportation landscape, the deterministic continuous variable (cv) teleportation between distant material objects. The objects are macroscopic atomic ensembles at room temperature. Entanglement required for teleportation is distributed by light propagating from one ensemble to the other. Quantum states encoded in a collective spin state of one ensemble are teleported onto another ensemble using this entanglement and homodyne measurements on light. By implementing process tomography, we demonstrate that the experimental fidelity of the quantum teleportation is higher than that achievable by any classical process. Furthermore, we demonstrate the benefits of deterministic teleportation by teleporting a dynamically changing sequence of spin states from one distant object onto another.
Single-photon entanglement is a simple form of entanglement that exists between two spatial modes sharing a single photon. Despite its elementary form, it provides a resource as useful as polarization-entangled photons and it can be used for quantum
teleportation and entanglement swapping operations. Here, we report the first experiment where single-photon entanglement is purified with a simple linear-optics based protocol. Besides its conceptual interest, this result might find applications in long distance quantum communication based on quantum repeaters.
This is the reply to the comment arXiv:0810.4452 by Kofler, Ursin, Brukner, and Zeilinger.
In science, one observes correlations and invents theoretical models that describe them. In all sciences, besides quantum physics, all correlations are described by either of two mechanisms. Either a first event influences a second one by sending som
e information encoded in bosons or molecules or other physical carriers, depending on the particular science. Or the correlated events have some common causes in their common past. Interestingly, quantum physics predicts an entirely different kind of cause for some correlations, named entanglement. This new kind of cause reveals itself, e.g., in correlations that violate Bell inequalities (hence cannot be described by common causes) between space-like separated events (hence cannot be described by classical communication). Einstein branded it as spooky action at a distance. A real spooky action at a distance would require a faster than light influence defined in some hypothetical universally privileged reference frame. Here we put stringent experimental bounds on the speed of all such hypothetical influences. We performed a Bell test during more than 24 hours between two villages separated by 18 km and approximately east-west oriented, with the source located precisely in the middle. We continuously observed 2-photon interferences well above the Bell inequality threshold. Taking advantage of the Earths rotation, the configuration of our experiment allowed us to determine, for any hypothetically privileged frame, a lower bound for the speed of this spooky influence. For instance, if such a privileged reference frame exists and is such that the Earths speed in this frame is less than 10^-3 that of the speed of light, then the speed of this spooky influence would have to exceed that of light by at least 4 orders of magnitude.
We report on a Bell experiment with space-like separation assuming that the measurement time is related to gravity-induced state reduction. Two energy-time entangled photons are sent through optical fibers and directed into unbalanced interferometers
at two receiving stations separated by 18 km. At each station, the detection of a photon triggers the displacement of a macroscopic mass. The timing ensures space-like separation from the moment a photon enters its interferometer until the mass has moved. 2-photon interference fringes with a visibility of up to 90.5% are obtained, leading to a violation of Bell inequality.
