Photonic quantum information processing in metropolitan networks lays the foundation for a global quantum internet, yet typically requires identical emitters to ensure performance. The Nanophotonics and Quantum Lab groups at Sapienza managed to overcome this challenge by experimentally implementing quantum teleportation using originally dissimilar semiconductor quantum dots, engineering their electronic and optical properties via strain and magnetic fields to ensure compatibility. Bringing together their expertise on advanced emitter engineering and practical quantum communication, the team validated the protocol in a hybrid quantum network harnessing fiber connections and a 270 m free-space optical link, utilizing GPS-assisted synchronization and active stabilization against atmospheric turbulence. The achieved teleportation fidelity reaches 82%, exceeding the classical limit by over 10 standard deviations. These findings open a new route to implement solid-state based quantum relays for practical, heterogeneous quantum networks.
Press release from Sapienza University of Rome: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/notizia/quantum-teleportation-internet-future