A Zero Added Loss Multiplexing (ZALM) Source Simulation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive ZALM source simulator that models quantum multiplexing components, enabling optimization of entangled photon pair generation with adjustable parameters for specific applications.

Contribution

It presents a modular, physics-based simulator built in NetSquid supporting detailed modeling of ZALM sources and their components, allowing for performance trade-off analysis.

Findings

Fidelity remains around 0.83 across configurations.

EBIT rate decreases with distance, but bandwidth narrowing improves rate.

The simulator supports co-design of quantum source and network components.

Abstract

Zero Added Loss Multiplexing (ZALM) offers broadband, per channel heralded EPR pairs, with a rich parameter space that allows its performance to be tailored for specific applications. We present a modular ZALM simulator that demonstrates how design choices affect output rate and fidelity. Built in NetSquid with QSI controllers, it exposes 20+ tunable parameters, supports IDEAL and REALISTIC modes, and provides reusable components for Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC) sources, interference, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) filtering, fiber delay, active polarization gates, detectors, and lossy fiber. Physics based models capture Hong Ou Mandel (HOM) visibility, insertion loss, detector efficiency, gate errors, and attenuation. Using this tool, we map trade offs among fidelity, link distance, and entangled pairs per use, and show how SPDC bandwidth and DWDM grid spacing steer performance. Using the default configuration settings, average fidelity remains constant at 0.83 but the ebit rate decreases from 0.0175 at the source to 0.0 at 50 km; narrowing the SPDC degeneracy bandwidth increases the ebit rate significantly without affecting fidelity. The simulator enables codesign of source, filtering, and feedforward settings for specific quantum memories and integrates as a building block for end to end quantum network studies.