A quantum router for high-dimensional entanglement

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a quantum router that can split high-dimensional entangled photon states into smaller entangled states, revealing that entanglement can be spatially subdivided and enabling advanced quantum communication applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum routing technique for high-dimensional entanglement, expanding the control and application of entangled states in quantum information.

Findings

High-dimensional entangled states can be split into smaller entangled states.

Entanglement can be spatially subdivided into separate parts.

The technique has potential applications in quantum and classical communication.

Abstract

In addition to being a workhorse for modern quantum technologies, entanglement plays a key role in fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. The entanglement of photons in multiple levels, or dimensions, explores the limits of how large an entangled state can be, while also greatly expanding its applications in quantum information. Here we show how a high-dimensional quantum state of two photons entangled in their orbital angular momentum can be split into two entangled states with a smaller dimensionality structure. Our work demonstrates that entanglement is a quantum property that can be subdivided into spatially separated parts. In addition, our technique has vast potential applications in quantum as well as classical communication systems.