Continuous-variable entanglement swapping with photon subtraction
Na Wang, Meihong Wang, Xiaolong Su · Physical Review A · 2024
Entanglement swapping, which establishes entanglement between two independent and distant entangled states, is a key element of a quantum repeater in an entanglement-based quantum network. In continuous-variable (CV) entanglement swapping, it is essential to enhance the entanglement of entanglement swapping because it decreases with loss and noise in the quantum channel. Here, we propose a scheme of enhancing entanglement of CV entanglement swapping by a photon subtraction (PS) operation in noisy channels. We apply both one- and two-sided PS operations in CV entanglement swapping through lossy single- and dual-channel transmission schemes, respectively. In the lossy channel, we show that the two-sided PS operation enables one to obtain higher entanglement and longer transmission distance compared to the one-sided PS operation. Furthermore, we show that the two-sided PS operation can enhance the entanglement of the entanglement swapping in the noisy single-channel CV entanglement swapping. Our results provide a feasible solution to enhance entanglement of CV entanglement swapping, and they have potential applications in building quantum repeaters.