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Abstract Quantum key distribution (QKD) holds the potential to establish secure keys over long distances. The distance of point-to-point QKD secure key distribution is primarily impeded by the transmission loss inherent to the channel. In the quest to realize a large-scale quantum network, increasing the QKD distance under current technology is of great research interest. Here we adopt the 3-intensity sending-or-not-sending twin-field QKD (TF-QKD) protocol with the actively-odd-parity-pairing method. The experiment demonstrates the feasibility of secure QKD over a 1002 km fibre channel considering the finite size effect. The secure key rate is 3.11 × 10 − 12 $3.11\times 10^{-12}$ per pulse at this distance. Furthermore, by optimizing parameters for shorter fiber distances, we conducted performance tests on key distribution for fiber lengths ranging from 202 km to 505 km. Notably, the secure key rate for the 202 km, the normal distance between major cities, reached 111.74 kbps.

Abstract The lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) platform has revolutionized lithium niobate materials, and a series of quantum photonic chips have exhibited unprecedented performances. Quantum frequency conversion (QFC) that enables quantum state preservation during frequency conversion is crucial in quantum technology. This work demonstrates a low-noise QFC process on the LNOI nanophotonic platform, connecting telecom and near-visible bands. An internal conversion efficiency of 73% and an on-chip noise count of 900 counts per second (cps) are achieved. Furthermore, the preservation of quantum statistical properties is verified, indicating the QFC chip’s promise for extensive applications of LNOI integrated circuits in quantum information. Based on this chip, we constructed an upconversion single-photon detector with a detection efficiency of 8.7% and a noise of 300 cps, paving the way to integrated on-chip single-photon detection. The realization of a low-noise QFC device also provide a pathway for practical chip-scale QFC-based quantum systems in heterogeneous configurations.

In Hilbert space, the geometry of the quantum state is identified by the quantum geometric tensor (QGT), whose imaginary part is the Berry curvature and whose real part is the quantum metric tensor. Here, we experimentally realize a complete Bloch-state tomography to directly measure the eigenfunction of an optical Raman lattice for ultracold atoms. Through the measured eigenfunction, the distribution of the complete QGT in the Brillouin zone is reconstructed, with which the topological invariants are extracted by the Berry curvature and the distances of quantum states in momentum space are measured by the quantum metric tensor. Furthermore, we experimentally test a predicted inequality between the Berry curvature and the quantum metric tensor, which reveals a deep connection between the topology and geometry.

Quantum transport between distant nodes that is robust to experimental imperfections is essential for quantum information processing. Here we experimentally demonstrate efficient and robust edge-to-edge transport of atomic momentum states in a synthetic lattice of Bose-Einstein condensate, simulating a dynamically modulated Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. This transport process relies on continuously controlling the effective nearest-neighbor couplings in the synthetic lattice, which constructs a unique chain between the left- and right-edge states. The robustness of such transport is protected by the chiral symmetry of the system, demonstrated by subjecting the lattices to coupling-strength disorders. Furthermore, we implement a splitter operation through an SSH model with a topological interface at its center. Our approach provides an efficient single operation to achieve robust momenta transport with potential applications in coherent quantum control in atom optics.

Abstract To achieve scalable quantum information processing, great efforts have been devoted to the creation of large-scale entangled states in various physical systems. Ultracold atom in optical lattice is considered as one of the promising platforms due to its feasible initialization and parallel manipulation. In this work, we propose an efficient scheme to generate and characterize global entanglement in the optical lattice. With only two-layer quantum circuits, the generation utilizes two-qubit entangling gates based on the superexchange interaction in double wells. The parallelism of these operations enables the generation to be fast and scalable. To verify the entanglement of this non-stabilizer state, we mainly design three complementary detection protocols which are less resource-consuming compared to the full tomography. In particular, one just needs two homogenous local measurement settings to identify the entanglement property. Our entanglement generation and verification protocols provide the foundation for the further quantum information processing in optical lattice.

Abstract Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables secure key exchanges between two remote users. The ultimate goal of secure communication is to establish a global quantum network. The existing field tests suggest that quantum networks are feasible. To achieve a practical quantum network, we need to overcome several challenges including realizing versatile topologies for large scales, simple network maintenance, extendable configuration and robustness to node failures. To this end, we present a field operation of a quantum metropolitan-area network with 46 nodes and show that all these challenges can be overcome with cutting-edge quantum technologies. In particular, we realize different topological structures and continuously run the network for 31 months, by employing standard equipment for network maintenance with an extendable configuration. We realize QKD pairing and key management with a sophisticated key control centre. In this implementation, the final keys have been used for secure communication such as real-time voice telephone, text messaging and file transmission with one-time pad encryption, which can support 11 pairs of users to make audio calls simultaneously. Combined with intercity quantum backbone and ground–satellite links, our metropolitan implementation paves the way toward a global quantum network.

The ongoing quest for understanding nonequilibrium dynamics of complex quantum systems underpins the foundation of statistical physics as well as the development of quantum technology. Quantum many-body scarring has recently opened a window into novel mechanisms for delaying the onset of thermalization by preparing the system in special initial states, such as the Z_{2} state in a Rydberg atom system. Here we realize many-body scarring in a Bose-Hubbard quantum simulator from previously unknown initial conditions such as the unit-filling state. We develop a quantum-interference protocol for measuring the entanglement entropy and demonstrate that scarring traps the many-body system in a low-entropy subspace. Our work makes the resource of scarring accessible to a broad class of ultracold-atom experiments, and it allows one to explore the relation of scarring to constrained dynamics in lattice gauge theories, Hilbert space fragmentation, and disorder-free localization.

Abstract Quantum key distribution (QKD) can provide information theoretically secure key exchange even in the era of quantum computers. However, QKD requires the classical channel to be authenticated, the current method for which is pre-sharing symmetric keys. For a QKD network of n users, this method requires $${C}_{n}^{2}=n(n-1)/2$$ C n 2 = n ( n − 1 ) / 2 pairs of symmetric keys to realize pairwise interconnection. In contrast, with the help of a mature public key infrastructure (PKI) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) with quantum-resistant security, each user only needs to apply for one digital certificate from a certificate authority (CA) to achieve efficient and secure authentication for QKD. We need to assume only the short-term security of the PQC algorithm to achieve long-term security of the distributed keys. Here, we experimentally verified the feasibility, efficiency, and stability of the PQC algorithm in QKD authentication, and demonstrated the advantages when new users join the QKD network. Using the PQC public-key infrastructure, the nodes need to mutually trust only the CA to authenticate each other. QKD combined with PQC authentication will greatly promote and extend the application prospects of quantum-safe communication.

High-fidelity initialization, manipulation, and measurement of qubits are important in quantum computing. For the Google’s Sycamore processor, the gate fidelity of single- and two-qubit logic operations has improved to>99.6%, whereas single-shot measurement fidelity remains at the level of 97%, which severely limits the application of the superconducting approach to large-scale quantum computing. The current measurement scheme relies on the dispersive interaction between the qubit and the readout resonator, which was proposed back in 2004. However, the measurement fidelity is limited by the trade-off between the state separation and relaxation time of the two-level system. Recently, an exciting phenomenon was observed experimentally, wherein the separation-decay limit could be alleviated by exploiting the cascade decay nature of the higher levels; however, the mechanism and effectiveness of this phenomenon are still unclear. Herein, we present a theoretical tool to extract different types of errors in high-level states encoding dispersive measurement. For the realistic parameters of Google’s Sycamore processor, the use of state |2〉 is sufficient to suppress 92% of the decay readout error on average, where the total readout error is dominated by the background thermal excitation. We also show counter-intuitively that, the assistance of high-level states is effective in the measurement of logic 0, where there is no decay process.

Abstract Quantum resetting protocols allow a quantum system to be sent to a state in the past by making it interact with quantum probes when neither the free evolution of the system nor the interaction is controlled. We experimentally verify the simplest non-trivial case of a quantum resetting protocol, known as the $${{\mathcal{W}}}_{4}$$ W 4 protocol, with five superconducting qubits, testing it with different types of free evolutions and target–probe interactions. After projection, we obtained a reset state fidelity as high as 0.951, and the process fidelity was found to be 0.792. We also implemented 100 randomly chosen interactions and demonstrated an average success probability of 0.323 for $$\left|1\right\rangle$$ 1 and 0.292 for $$\left|-\right\rangle$$ − , and experimentally confirmed the nonzero probability of success for unknown interactions; the numerical simulated values are about 0.3. Our experiment shows that the simplest quantum resetting protocol can be implemented with current technologies, making such protocols a valuable tool in the eternal fight against unwanted evolution in quantum systems.

Abstract Background Although people of all ages are susceptible to the novel coronavirus infection, which is presently named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19), there has been relatively few cases reported among children. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in children and the differences from adults. Case presentation We report one pediatric case of COVID-19. A 14-month-old boy was admitted to the hospital with a symptom of fever, and was diagnosed with a mild form of COVID-19. The child’s mother and grandmother also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. However, the lymphocyte counts were normal. The chest computed tomography (CT) revealed scattered ground glass opacities in the right lower lobe close to the pleura and resorption after the treatment. The patient continued to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the nasopharyngeal swabs and stool at 17 days after the disappearance of symptoms. Conclusion The present pediatric case of COVID-19 was acquired through household transmission, and the symptoms were mild. Lymphocyte counts did not significantly decrease. The RNA of SARS-CoV-2 in stool and nasopharyngeal swabs remained positive for an extended period of time after the disappearance of symptoms. This suggests that attention should be given to the potential contagiousness of pediatric COVID-19 cases after clinical recovery.

We report an experimental study of quench dynamics across the superfluid transition temperature T_{c} in a strongly interacting Fermi gas by ramping down the trapping potential. The nonzero quasicondensate number N_{0} at temperatures significantly above T_{c} in the unitary and the BEC regimes is consistent with the pseudogap physics via preformed pairs. Below T_{c}, a rapid growth of N_{0} is accompanied by the spontaneous generation of tens of vortices. We observe a power-law scaling of the vortex density versus the quasicondensate formation time, consistent with the Kibble-Zurek theory. Our work provides an example of studying emerged many-body physics by quench dynamics and paves the way for studying the quantum turbulence in a strongly interacting Fermi gas.

As strength of disorder enhances beyond a threshold value in many-body systems, a fundamental transformation happens through which the entire spectrum localizes, a phenomenon known as many-body localization. This has profound implications as it breaks down fundamental principles of statistical mechanics, such as thermalization and ergodicity. Due to the complexity of the problem, the investigation of the many-body localization transition has remained a big challenge. The experimental exploration of the transition point is even more challenging as most of the proposed quantities for studying such an effect are practically infeasible. Here, we experimentally implement a scalable protocol for detecting the many-body localization transition point, using the dynamics of an N=12 superconducting qubit array. We show that the sensitivity of the dynamics to random samples becomes maximum at the transition point, which leaves its fingerprints in all spatial scales. By exploiting three quantities, each with a different spatial resolution, we identify the transition point with an excellent match between simulation and experiment. In addition, one can detect the evidence of a mobility edge through slight variation of the transition point as the initial state varies. The protocol is easily scalable and can be performed across various physical platforms.

Distributed quantum sensing can provide quantum-enhanced sensitivity beyond the shot-noise limit (SNL) for sensing spatially distributed parameters. To date, distributed quantum sensing experiments have mostly been accomplished in laboratory environments without a real space separation for the sensors. In addition, the post-selection is normally assumed to demonstrate the sensitivity advantage over the SNL. Here, we demonstrate distributed quantum sensing with discrete variables in field and show the unconditional violation (without post-selection) of SNL up to 0.916 dB for the field distance of 240 m. The achievement is based on a loophole-free Bell test setup with entangled photon pairs at the averaged heralding efficiency of 73.88%. Moreover, to test quantum sensing in real life, we demonstrate the experiment for long distances (with 10-km fiber), together with the sensing of a completely random parameter. The results represent an important step towards a practical quantum sensing network for widespread applications.

Quantum incompatibility, as an important quantum resource, is believed to play a key role in quantum information processing tasks. In order to detect this property, an entanglement-free incompatibility witness is proposed via constructing a combined quantum state discrimination task with prior-measurement and post-measurement information strategies. Here we experimentally implement the witness of the incompatibility of mutually unbiased measurements under different noise levels in a qutrit system. Moreover, we estimate the robustness of incompatibility using collected data. Our work paves the path for understanding quantum incompatibility and exploring the features of the quantum resource.

We present measurements of more than 80 magnetic Feshbach resonances in collisions of ultracold ^23 Na ^40 K with ^40 K. We assign quantum numbers to a group of low-field resonances and show that they are probably due to long-range states of the triatomic complex in which the quantum numbers of the separated atom and molecule are approximately preserved. The resonant states are not members of chaotic bath of short-range states. Similar resonances are expected to be a common feature of alkali-metal diatom + atom systems.

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI QKD) removes all detector side channels and enables secure QKD with an untrusted relay. It is suitable for building a star-type quantum access network, where the complicated and expensive measurement devices are placed in the central untrusted relay and each user requires only a low-cost transmitter, such as an integrated photonic chip. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a 1.25-GHz silicon photonic chip-based MDI QKD system using polarization encoding. The photonic chip transmitters integrate the necessary encoding components for a standard QKD source. We implement random modulations of polarization states and decoy intensities, and demonstrate a finite-key secret rate of 31 bit/s over 36-dB channel loss (or 180-km standard fiber). This key rate is higher than state-of-the-art MDI QKD experiments. The results show that silicon photonic chip-based MDI QKD, benefiting from miniaturization, low-cost manufacture, and compatibility with CMOS microelectronics, is a promising solution for future quantum secure networks.

Maximally bipartite entangled state |Ψ^{+}〉, also known as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pair, is the unit resource of entanglement and the key for quantum information processing. An important problem is that how many maximally bipartite entangled states could be distilled from a multipartite entangled state shared among a quantum network. Here, we focus on the distillation of |Ψ^{+}〉 from a single copy of the three-qubit W state. An interesting phenomenon in this case is that the random entanglement distillation between two unspecified parties can yield a strictly higher distillation rate (the average number of |Ψ^{+}〉 distilled from each W state) than the case between two specified parties. In this work, we develop a distillation protocol by introducing weak measurements that do not destroy the global entanglement. We find that the distillation rate can be significantly enhanced with only a few rounds by performing an extra distillation procedure between two specified parties at the final step. Experimentally, we prepare a three-photon W state in the polarization degree of freedom, and employ the path degree of freedom of each photon as probe qubits to realize the weak measurement. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we show that the distillation rate is enhanced from 2/3, which is the theoretical limit of any distillation scheme between two specified parties, to 0.751±0.030 between two unspecified parties with only one distillation round.

Creating large-scale entanglement lies at the heart of many quantum information processing protocols and the investigation of fundamental physics. For multipartite quantum systems, it is crucial to identify not only the presence of entanglement but also its detailed structure. This is because in a generic experimental situation with sufficiently many subsystems involved, the production of so-called genuine multipartite entanglement remains a formidable challenge. Consequently, focusing exclusively on the identification of this strongest type of entanglement may result in an all or nothing situation where some inherently quantum aspects of the resource are overlooked. On the contrary, even if the system is not genuinely multipartite entangled, there may still be many-body entanglement present in the system. An identification of the entanglement structure may thus provide us with a hint about where imperfections in the setup may occur, as well as where we can identify groups of subsystems that can still exhibit strong quantum-information-processing capabilities. However, there is no known efficient methods to identify the underlying entanglement structure. Here, we propose two complementary families of witnesses for the identification of such structures. They are based, respectively, on the detection of entanglement intactness and entanglement depth, each applicable to an arbitrary number of subsystems and whose evaluation requires only the implementation of solely two local measurements. Our method is also robust against noises and other imperfections, as reflected by our experimental implementation of these tools to verify the entanglement structure of five different eight-photon entangled states. In particular, we demonstrate how their entanglement structure can be precisely and systematically inferred from the experimental measurement of these witnesses. In achieving this goal, we also illustrate how the same set of data can be classically postprocessed to learn the most about the measured system.

Quantum cryptography holds the promise to establish an information-theoretically secure global network. All field tests of metropolitan-scale quantum networks to date are based on trusted relays. The security critically relies on the accountability of the trusted relays, which will break down if the relay is dishonest or compromised. Here, we construct a measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDIQKD) network in a star topology over a 200-square-kilometer metropolitan area, which is secure against untrustful relays and against all detection attacks. In the field test, our system continuously runs through one week with a secure key rate 10 times larger than previous results. Our results demonstrate that the MDIQKD network, combining the best of both worlds—security and practicality, constitutes an appealing solution to secure metropolitan communications.

Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is a fundamental cryptographic primitive that allows a prover to convince a verifier of the validity of a statement without leaking any further information. As an efficient variant of ZKP, noninteractive zero-knowledge proof (NIZKP) adopting the Fiat-Shamir heuristic is essential to a wide spectrum of applications, such as federated learning, blockchain, and social networks. However, the heuristic is typically built upon the random oracle model that makes ideal assumptions about hash functions, which does not hold in reality and thus undermines the security of the protocol. Here, we present a quantum solution to the problem. Instead of resorting to a random oracle model, we implement a quantum randomness service. This service generates random numbers certified by the loophole-free Bell test and delivers them with postquantum cryptography (PQC) authentication. By employing this service, we conceive and implement NIZKP of the three-coloring problem. By bridging together three prominent research themes, quantum nonlocality, PQC, and ZKP, we anticipate this work to inspire more innovative applications that combine quantum information science and the cryptography field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]