Fundamental Limitations on Communication over a Quantum Network

Understand

Entanglement, a fundamental feature of quantum mechanics, has long been recognized as a valuable resource in enabling secure communications and surpassing classical limits.

• However, previous research has primarily concentrated on static entangled states generated at a single point in time, overlooking the crucial role of the quantum dynamics responsible for creating such states.
• Here, we propose a framework for investigating entanglement across multiple time points, termed temporal entanglement, and demonstrate that the performance of a quantum network in transmitting information is inherently dependent on its temporal entanglement.
• Through case studies, we showcase the capabilities of our framework in enhancing conventional quantum teleportation and achieving exponential performance growth in the protocol of quantum repeaters.