Optimizing entanglement generation and distribution using genetic algorithms

Long-distance quantum communication via entanglement distribution is of great importance for the quantum internet. However, scaling up to such long distances has proved challenging due to the loss of photons, which grows exponentially with the distance covered. Quantum repeaters could in theory be used to extend the distances over which...

Investigating the Scalability of Quantum Repeater Protocols Based on Atomic Ensembles

A Quantum Internet will enable new applications that are provably impossible with classical communication alone. However, the optical fibers used to carry the quantum information are inherently lossy. To overcome the exponential losses over distance so-called quantum repeaters are needed to amplify the signal.<br/>In this thesis we investigate...

Light, the universe and everything–12 Herculean tasks for quantum cowboys and black diamond skiers

The Winter Colloquium on the Physics of Quantum Electronics (PQE) has been a seminal force in quantum optics and related areas since 1971. It is rather mind-boggling to recognize how the concepts presented at these conferences have transformed scientific understanding and human society. In January 2017, the participants of PQE were asked to...