Quantum storage of entangled photons at telecom wavelengths in a crystal

Abstract

The quantum internet -- in synergy with the internet that we use today -- promises an enabling platform for next-generation information processing, including exponentially speed-up distributed computation, secure communication, and high-precision metrology. The key ingredients for realizing such a global network are the distribution and storage of quantum entanglement. As ground-based quantum networks are likely to be based on existing fiber networks, telecom-wavelength entangled photons and corresponding quantum memories are of central interest. Recently, $\rm^{167}Er^{3+}$ ions have been identified as a promising candidate for an efficient, broadband quantum memory at telecom wavelength. However, to date, no storage of entangled photons, the crucial step of quantum memory using these promising ions, $\rm^{167}Er^{3+}$, has been reported. Here, we demonstrate the storage and recall of the entangled state of two telecom photons generated from an integrated photonic chip based on a silicon nitride micro-ring resonator. Combining the natural narrow linewidth of the entangled photons and long storage time of $\rm^{167}Er^{3+}$ ions, we achieve storage time of 1.936 $\mu$s, more than 387 times longer than in previous works. Successful storage of entanglement in the crystal is certified by a violation of an entanglement witness with more than 23 standard deviations (-0.234 $\pm$ 0.010) at 1.936 $\mu$s storage time. These results pave the way for realizing quantum networks based on solid-state devices.