Quantum information processing is a field that relies on the entanglement of multiple photons to process vast amounts of information. However, creating multiphoton entanglement is a challenging task. Traditional methods either use quantum nonlinear optical processes, which are inefficient for large numbers of photons, or linear beam-splitting and quantum interference, which require complex setups prone to issues like loss and crosstalk.

A team of researchers from Peking University, Southern University of Science and Technology, and the University of Science and Technology of China have made a significant breakthrough in this area.

As reported in Advanced Photonics Nexus, they developed a new approach using metasurfaces, which are planar structures capable of controlling various aspects of light, such as phase, frequency, and polarization. This innovative approach allows for the generation of multiphoton entanglement on a single metasurface, simplifying the process while making it more efficient.