The creation of large-scale, high-fidelity quantum computers is not only a fundamental scientific endeavour in itself, but also provides increasingly robust proofs of quantum computational advantage (QCA) in the presence of unavoidable noise and the dynamic competition with classical algorithm improvements. To overcome the biggest challenge of photon-based QCA experiments, photon loss, we report new Gaussian boson sampling (GBS) experiments with 1024 high-efficiency squeezed states injected into a hybrid spatial-temporal encoded, 8176-mode, programmable photonic quantum processor, Jiuzhang 4.0, which produces up to 3050 photon detection events. Our experimental results outperform all classical spoofing algorithms, particularly the matrix product state (MPS) method, which was recently proposed to utilise photon loss to reduce the classical simulation complexity of GBS. Using the state-of-the-art MPS algorithm on the most powerful supercomputer EI Capitan, it would take > $10^{42}$ years to construct the required tensor network for simulation, while our Jiuzhang 4.0 quantum computer takes 25.6 $\mu$s to produce a sample. This work establishes a new frontier of QCA and paves the way to fault-tolerant photonic quantum computing hardware.

Ultracold atoms trapped in optical superlattices provide a simple platform for realizing the seminal Aubry-Andr\'{e}-Harper (AAH) model. However, the periodic modulations on the nearest-neighbour hoppings have been ignored in this model. In this paper, we find that optical superlattice system actually can be approximately described by a generalized AAH model in the case of $V_1\gg V_2$, with periodic modulations on both on-site energies and nearest-neighbour hoppings, supporting much richer topological properties that are absent in the standard AAH model. Specifically, by calculating Chern numbers and topological edge states, we show that the generalized AAH model possesses multifarious topological phases and topological phase transitions, as compared to the standard AAH model only supporting a single topological phase. Our findings can open up more opportunities for using optical superlattices to study topological and localization physics.

Two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is a fundamental quantum effect with no classical counterpart. The exiting researches on two-photon interference were mainly limited in one degree of freedom (DoF), hence it is still a challenge to realize the quantum interference in multiple DoFs. Here we demonstrate the HOM interference between two hyper-entangled photons in two DoFs of polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM) for all the sixteen hyper-entangled Bell states. We observe hyper-entangled two-photon interference with bunching effect for ten symmetric states (nine Boson-Boson states, one Fermion-Fermion state) and anti-bunching effect for six anti-symmetric states (three Boson-Fermion states, three Fermion-Boson states). More interestingly, expanding the Hilbert space by introducing an extra DoF for two photons enables to transfer the unmeasurable external phase in the initial DoF to a measurable internal phase in the expanded two DoFs. We directly measured the symmetric exchange phases being $0.012 \pm 0.002$, $0.025 \pm 0.002$ and $0.027 \pm 0.002$ in radian for the three Boson states in OAM and the anti-symmetric exchange phase being $0.991 \pi \pm 0.002$ in radian for the other Fermion state, as theoretical predictions. Our work may not only pave the way for more wide applications of quantum interference, but also develop new technologies by expanding Hilbert space in more DoFs.

Microcombs generated in optical microresonators are widely regarded as promising light sources for next-generation communication systems, but the optical power available per comb line has so far fallen short of practical requirements. Here we introduce an integrated Fabry-Pérot microresonator platform that overcomes fundamental dispersion-engineering constraints and enables bright soliton microcombs with unprecedented power per line. The resonator is defined by chirped Bragg gratings that provide exceptionally large anomalous group-velocity dispersion, allowing more than ten comb lines to reach the milliwatt level. These combs can be used directly in coherent communication systems without additional amplification, achieving an aggregate data rate of 2 Tb/s. Once integrated, our high-power soliton microcombs could be instantly ready for communications as well as a broad range of practical comb-based applications.

Gap-protected topological channels are a promising way to realize robust and high-fidelity state transfer in quantum networks. Although various topological transfer protocols based on the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model or its variants have been proposed, the phase accumulation during the evolution, as an essential aspect, is underestimated. Here, by numerically studying the phase information of quantum state transfer (QST) in one-dimensional (1D) topological spin chains, we uncover a universal phase correction $\phi_0 =(N-1)\pi/2$ for both adiabatic and diabatic topological schemes. Interestingly, the site-number-dependent phase correction satisfies $\mathbb{Z}_{4}$ symmetry and is equally effective for perfect mirror transmission in spin chains. Our work reveals a universal phase correction in 1D topologically protected QST, which will prompt a reevaluation of the topological protection mechanism in quantum systems.

The squeezed state is important in quantum metrology and quantum information. The most effective generation tool known is the optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Currently, only the squeezed states of lower-order spatial modes can be generated by an OPO. However, the squeezed states of higher-order complex spatial modes are more useful for applications such as quantum metrology, quantum imaging and quantum information. A major challenge for future applications is efficient generation. Here, we use cascaded phase-only spatial light modulators to modulate the amplitude and phase of the incident fundamental mode squeezed state. This efficiently generates a series of squeezed higher-order Hermite-Gauss modes and a squeezed arbitrary complex amplitude distributed mode. The method may yield new applications in biophotonics, quantum metrology and quantum information processing.

Arrays of neutral atoms in optical tweezers are widely used in quantum simulation and computation, and precision frequency metrology. The capabilities of these arrays are enhanced by maximising the number of available sites. Here we increase the spatial extent of a two-dimensional array of strontium-88 atoms by sweeping the frequency of the cooling light to move the atomic reservoir across the array. We load arrays with vertical heights of >100 {\mu}m, exceeding the height of an array loaded from a static reservoir by a factor of >3. We investigate the site-to-site atom number distribution, tweezer lifetime, and temperature, achieving an average temperature across the array of 1.49(3) {\mu}K. By controlling the frequency sweep we show it is possible to control the distribution of atoms across the array, including uniform and non-uniformly loaded arrays, and arrays with selectively loaded regions. We explain our results using a rate equation model which is in good qualitative agreement with the data.

Atomic spin-wave (SW) memory is a building block for quantum repeater. However, due to decoherence caused by atomic motions and magnetic-field gradients, SW retrieval efficiency decays with storage time. Slow magnetic-field fluctuations (SMFFs) lead to shot-to-shot phase noises of SWs, but have not been considered in previous repeater protocols. Here, we develop a SW model including a homogeneous phase noise caused by SMFFs, and then reveal that such phase noise induces decoherence of single-excitation entanglement between two atomic ensembles in a repeater link. For verify this conclusion, we experimentally prepare single-excitation entanglement between two SWs in a cold atomic ensemble and observe entanglement decoherence induced by SMFFs. Limited by SMFFs, the evaluated lifetime of the single-excitation entanglement over a repeater link is ~135 ms, even if the link uses optical-lattice atoms as nodes. We then present an approach that may overcome such limitation and extend this lifetime to ~1.7 s.

In multistate non-Hermitian systems, higher-order exceptional points and exotic phenomena with no analogues in two-level systems arise. A paradigm is the exceptional nexus (EX), a third-order EP as the cusp singularity of exceptional arcs (EAs), that has a hybrid topological nature. Using atomic Bose-Einstein condensates to implement a dissipative three-state system, we experimentally realize an EX within a two-parameter space, despite the absence of symmetry. The engineered dissipation exhibits density dependence due to the collective atomic response to resonant light. Based on extensive analysis of the system's decay dynamics, we demonstrate the formation of an EX from the coalescence of two EAs with distinct geometries. These structures arise from the different roles played by dissipation in the strong coupling limit and quantum Zeno regime. Our work paves the way for exploring higher-order exceptional physics in the many-body setting of ultracold atoms.

Discrete-modulation continuous-variable quantum key distribution has the potential for large-scale deployment in the secure quantum communication networks due to low implementation complexity and compatibility with the current telecom systems. The security proof for four coherent states phase-shift keying (4-PSK) protocol has recently been established by applying numerical methods. However, the achievable key rate is relatively low compared with the optimal Gaussian modulation scheme. To enhance the key rate of discrete-modulation protocol, we first show that 8-PSK increases the key rate by about 60\% in comparison to 4-PSK, whereas the key rate has no significant improvement from 8-PSK to 12-PSK. We then expand the 12-PSK to two-ring constellation structure with four states in the inner ring and eight states in the outer ring, which significantly improves the key rate to be 2.4 times of that of 4-PSK. The key rate of the two-ring constellation structure can reach 70\% of the key rate achieved by Gaussian modulation in long distance transmissions, making this protocol an attractive alternative for high-rate and low-cost application in secure quantum communication networks.

The spin transverse relaxation time (T_2) of atoms is an important indicator for precision measurement. Several methods have been proposed to characterize the T_2 of atoms. In this paper, the T_2 of rubidium (Rb) atomic vapor in the same cell was measured using four measuring methods, namely spin noise spectrum signal fitting, improved free induction decay (FID) signal fitting, w_m-broadening fitting, and magnetic resonance broadening fitting. Meanwhile, the T_2 of five different types of Rb atomic vapor cells were measured and characterized. A comparative analysis visualizes the characteristics of the different measuring methods and the effects of buffer gas on T_2 of Rb. We theoretically and experimentally analyzed the applicability of the different methods, and then demonstrated that the improved FID signal fitting method provides the most accurate measurement because of the clean environment in which the measurements were taken. Furthermore, we demonstrated and qualitatively analyzed the relationship between the atomic number density and the T_2 of Rb. This work provides analytical insight in selecting atomic vapor cells, and may shed light on the improvement of the sensitivity of atomic magnetometers.

Recently, great progress has been made in the entanglement of multiple photons at various wavelengths and in different degrees of freedom for optical quantum information applied in diverse scenarios. However, multi-photon entanglement in the transmission window of green light under the water has not been reported yet. Here, by combining femtosecond laser based multi-photon entanglement and entanglement-maintaining frequency upconversion techniques, we successfully generate a green two-photon polarization-entangled Bell state and a green three-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state, whose state fidelities are 0.893$\mathbf{\pm}$0.002 and 0.595$\mathbf{\pm}$0.023, respectively. Our result provides a scalable method to prepare green multi-photon entanglement, which may have wide applications in underwater quantum information.

The optomagnomechanical system, which involves flexible nonlinearities, is one of the promising physical platforms for studying the preparation and manipulation of quantum entanglements, as well as the construction of hybrid quantum networks. A scheme for entanglement enhancement and quadripartite entanglement generation is proposed, based on a cascaded optomagnomechanical system. On the one hand, optomicrowave and optomagnonic entanglements within the two subsystems are investigated, and their parameter dependence, such as detuning, decay, coupling strength, and transmission efficiency, is discussed. On the other hand, the parameter conditions for achieving optimal optomicrowave and optomagnonic quadripartite entanglements are also obtained. The results show that significant enhancement of optomicrowave and optomagnonic entanglements in the second cavity can be obtained in a certain range of parameters. Under optimized parameter conditions, optomicrowave and optomagnonic quadripartite entanglements can be generated throughout the entire cascaded system. This research provides a theoretical basis for the manipulation of quantum entanglement, the transmission of the magnon's state, and the construction of hybrid quantum networks involving different physical systems.

Quantum entanglement and quantum coherence generated from the optomagnomechanical system are important resources in quantum information and quantum computation. In this paper, a scheme for flexibly generating optomagnonic quantum entanglement and quantum coherence difference is proposed, based on a double-cavity-optomagnomechanical system. The parameter dependencies of the bipartite optomagnonic entanglement, the genuine tripartite optomagnonic entanglement, the quantum coherence difference, and the stability of the system, are investigated intensively. The results show that this scheme endows the magnon more flexibility to choose different mechanisms, under the condition of maintaining the system stable. This work is valuable for connecting different nodes in quantum networks and manipulating the magnon states with light in the future.

Cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) provides a significant way to produce $\sim$10 MHz narrow-band photon pairs, which matches the bandwidth of photon for quantum memory. However, the output photon pairs from the cavity is not entangled and the postselection is required to create the entanglement outside the cavity, so the direct output of cavity-enhanced narrow-band entangled photon pairs is still an open challenge. Here we propose a solution that realizes the first postselection-free cavity-enhanced narrow-band entangled photon pairs. The entanglement is achieved in degree of freedom (DOF) of orbital angular momentum (OAM) by implementing an OAM-conservation SPDC process in an actively and precisely controlled cavity supporting degenerate high-order OAM modes. The measured linewidth for the two photons is 13.8 MHz and the measured fidelity is 0.969(3) for the directly generated OAM entangled two photons. We deterministically transfer the OAM entanglement to polarization one with almost no loss and obtain polarization entangled two photons with a fidelity of 0.948(2). Moreover, we produce narrow-band OAM-polarization hyperentangled photon pairs with a fidelity of 0.850(2) by establishing polarization entanglement with preservation of OAM entanglement, which is realized by interfering the two photons on a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) and post-selecting the events of one and only one photon in on each of the PBS port. Novel cavity may find applications in cavity-based light-matter interaction. Our results provide an efficient and promising approach to create narrow-band entangled photon sources for memory-based long-distance quantum communication and network.

One-way quantum computation is a promising approach to achieving universal, scalable, and fault-tolerant quantum computation. However, a main challenge lies in the creation of universal, scalable three-dimensional cluster states. Here, an experimental scheme is proposed for building large-scale canonical three-dimensional cubic cluster states, which are compatible with the majority of qubit error-correcting codes, using the spatiospectral modes of an optical parametric oscillator. Combining with Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill states, one-way fault-tolerant optical quantum computation can be achieved with a lower fault-tolerant squeezing threshold. Our scheme drastically simplify experimental configurations, paving the way for compact realizations of one-way fault-tolerant optical quantum computation.

Superbunching effect with second-order correlations larger than 2, g^{(2)}(0)>2, indicating the N-photon bundles emission and strong correlation among photons, has a broad range of fascinating applications in quantum illumination, communication, and computation. However, the on-demand manipulation of the superbunching effect in colloidal quantum dots (QDs) under pulsed excitation, which is beneficial to integrated photonics and lab-on-a-chip quantum devices, is still challenging. Here, we disclosed the evolution of $g^{(2)}(0)$ with the parameters of colloidal QDs by Mento Carlo simulations and performed second-order correlation measurements on CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs under both continuous wave (CW) and pulsed lasers. The photon statistics of a single colloidal QD have been substantially tailored from sub-Poissonian distribution g^{(2)}(0) <1) to superbunching emission, with the maximum $g^{(2)}(0)$ reaching 69 and 20 under CW and pulsed excitation, respectively. We have achieved correlated biphoton imaging (CPI), employing the coincidence of the biexciton and bright exciton in one laser pulse, with the stray light and background noise up to 53 times stronger than PL emission of single colloidal QDs. By modulating the PL intensity, the Fourier-domain CPI with reasonably good contrast has been determined, with the stray light noise up to 107 times stronger than PL emission and 75600 times stronger than the counts of biphotons. Our noise-resistance CPI may enable laboratory-based quantum imaging to be applied to real-world applications with the highly desired suppression of strong background noise and stray light.

Autler-Townes (AT) doublet, a fundamental manifestation of quantum interference effects, serves as a critical tool for studying the dynamic behavior of Rydberg atoms. Here, we investigate the asymmetry of the Autler-Townes (AT) doublet in trap-loss fluorescence spectroscopy (TLFS) of cesium (Cs) atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) with single-step Rydberg excitation using a 319-nm ultraviolet (UV) laser. A V-type three-level system involving the ground state $6\text{S}_{1/2}$ ($\text{F}$=4), excited state $6\text{P}_{3/2}$ ($\text{F}^{'}$=5) , and Rydberg state ($n\text{P}_{3/2}$ ($\text{m}_\text{J}$=+3/2)) is theoretically modeled to analyze the nonlinear dependence of the AT doublet's asymmetry and interval on the cooling laser detuning. Experiments reveal that as the cooling laser detuning $\Delta_1$ decreases from $-$15 MHz to $-$10 MHz, the AT doublet exhibits increasing symmetry, while its interval shows a nonlinear decrease. Theoretical simulations based on the density matrix equation and Lindblad master equation align closely with experimental data, confirming the model's validity. This study provides insights into quantum interference dynamics in multi-level systems and offers a systematic approach for optimizing precision measurements in cold atom spectroscopy.

Discrete time quasi-crystals are non-equilibrium quantum phenomena with quasi-periodic order in the time dimension, and are an extension of the discrete time-crystal phase. As a natural platform to explore the non-equilibrium phase of matter, the Rydberg atomic array has implemented the quantum simulation of the discrete-time crystal phase, associated with quantum many-body scar state. However, the existence of discrete time quasi-crystal on the Rydberg cold atom experiment platform has yet to be conceived. Here, we propose a method to generate the discrete time quasi-crystal behavior by coupling two discrete time-crystals, where associated two external driving frequencies have the maximum incommensurability. While we analysis its robustness and compute the phase diagram of corresponding observables. We significantly calculate the entanglement entropy between two parts of the system. Remarkably, we find the emergence of the aperiodic response is indeed caused by interaction between systems via Rydberg blockade effect. Our method thus offers the possibilities to explore the novel phases in quantum simulator.

Constructing large-scale quantum resources is an important foundation for further improving the efficiency and scalability of quantum communication. Here, we present an efficient extraction and stable control scheme of 40 pairs of entangled sideband modes from the squeezed light by specially designing optical parametric oscillator. Utilizing the low-loss optical frequency comb control technology and the local cross-correlation algorithm, we model and manage the efficient separation process of the entangled sidebands modes facilitated by the optical filtering cavities, a maximum entanglement level of 6.5 dB is achieved. The feasibility of large-capacity quantum dense coding based on these entangled sideband modes is proved experimentally, which is of great significance for optimizing the utilization of quantum resources, thereby contributing to the advancement of large-capacity quantum communication networks and enabling the realization of more secure and efficient quantum communication systems.