Quantum networks can enable various applications such as distributed quantum computing, long-distance quantum communication, and network-based quantum sensing with unprecedented performances. One of the most important building blocks for a quantum network is a photonic quantum memory which serves as the interface between the communication channel and the local functional unit. A programmable quantum memory which can process a large stream of flying qubits and fulfill the requirements of multiple core functions in a quantum network is still to be realized. Here we report a high-performance quantum memory which can simultaneously store 72 optical qubits carried by 144 spatially separated atomic ensembles and support up to a thousand consecutive write or read operations in a random access way, 2 orders of magnitude larger than the previous record. Because of the built-in programmability, this quantum memory can be adapted on demand for several functions. As example applications, we realize quantum queue, stack, and buffer which closely resemble the counterpart devices for classical information processing. We further demonstrate the storage and reshuffle of four entangled pairs of photonic pulses with probabilistic arrival time and arbitrary release order via the memory, which is an essential requirement for the realization of quantum repeaters and efficient routing in quantum networks. Realization of this multipurpose programmable quantum memory thus constitutes a key enabling building block for future large-scale fully functional quantum networks.

中文翻译：

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实现具有数千个量子位操作的可编程多用途光子量子存储器

量子网络可以实现分布式量子计算、长距离量子通信和基于网络的量子传感等各种应用，并具有前所未有的性能。量子网络最重要的构建模块之一是光子量子存储器，它充当通信通道和本地功能单元之间的接口。能够处理大量飞行量子比特并满足量子网络中多个核心功能要求的可编程量子存储器仍有待实现。在这里，我们报告了一种高性能量子存储器，它可以同时存储由144个空间分离的原子系综携带的72个光学量子位，并以随机访问方式支持多达一千个连续写入或读取操作，比之前的记录大2个数量级。由于内置的​​可编程性，这种量子存储器可以根据多种功能的需要进行调整。作为示例应用程序，我们实现了量子队列、堆栈和缓冲区，它们与经典信息处理的对应设备非常相似。我们进一步证明了通过存储器对具有概率到达时间和任意释放顺序的四个纠缠光子脉冲对进行存储和重新排列，这是实现量子中继器和量子网络中高效路由的基本要求。因此，这种多用途可编程量子存储器的实现构成了未来大规模全功能量子网络的关键构建模块。