Leveraging the unique properties of quantum entanglement, quantum entanglement distribution networks support multiple quantum information applications and are essential to the development of quantum networks. However, practical implementation poses fundamental challenges to network scalability and flexibility. Here, we propose a reconfigurable entanglement distribution network scheme based on tunable multipump excitation of a spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) source and a time-sharing method. We characterize the two-photon correlation under different pump conditions to demonstrate the effect of pump degenerate and pump nondegenerate SFWM processes on the two-photon correlation and its tunability. Then, as a benchmark application, a 10-user fully connected quantum key distribution network is established in a time-sharing way with triple pump lights. Our results provide a promising networking scheme for large-scale entanglement distribution networks owing to its scalability, functionality, and reconfigurability.

This work has published on Science Advances (https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado9822) at 13th Sep. 2024 with the title of “Reconfigurable entanglement distribution network based on pump management of a spontaneous four-wave mixing source”. The first author of this paper is Ph.D candidate Jingyuan Liu. The corresponding author of this paper is Prof. Wei Zhang and Prof. Yidong Huang.