Towards hyperentangled time-bin and polarization superdense teleportation in space

Abstract

Quantum communication networks based on fiber optics are restricted in length since efficient quantum repeaters are not yet available. A free-space channel between a satellite in orbit and Earth can circumvent this problem. We have constructed a system to demonstrate the feasibility of quantum communication between space and earth using photons hyperentangled in their polarization and time-bin degrees of freedom. With this system, we have implemented superdense teleportation (SDT) with a fidelity of 0.94±0.02. To increase the efficiency of SDT, we have developed an active, polarization-independent switch compatible with SDT. We characterized the performance of its switching efficiency. Finally, we have constructed a novel two-level interferometer for time-bin qubit creation and analysis in orbit, and bounded its stability.