Quantum computer networks with the orbital angular momentum of light

TL;DR

This paper proposes optical quantum networks utilizing the orbital angular momentum of light to perform multiplexing, routing, and self-routing, enabling efficient quantum information processing with simple linear optical components.

Contribution

It introduces novel quantum network primitives based on the orbital angular momentum of photons, demonstrating their use for multiplexing, routing, and self-routing in quantum networks.

Findings

Demonstrated a simple multiplexer and demultiplexer for photonic qubits.

Designed self-routing networks using orbital angular momentum for destination finding.

Showed that linear optical elements suffice for key network functions.

Abstract

Inside computer networks, different information processing tasks are necessary to deliver the user data efficiently. This processing can also be done in the quantum domain. We present simple optical quantum networks where the orbital angular momentum of a single photon is used as an ancillary degree of freedom which controls decisions at the network level. Linear optical elements are enough to provide important network primitives like multiplexing and routing. First we show how to build a simple multiplexer and demultiplexer which combine photonic qubits and separate them again at the receiver. We also give two different self-routing networks where the OAM of an input photon is enough to make it find its desired destination.