Opto-mechanical transducers for long-distance quantum communication applications

We describe a new scheme for the implementation of a quantum interface between stationary qubits and a photonic channel. In our approach the coupling is mediated by an opto-mechanical device where the motion of a nano-mechanical resonator acts as a transducer for magnetic, electric and optical interactions. This scheme does not rely on coherent optical transitions and is therefore applicable for a wide range of spin and charge based qubits. We analyze a quantum network based on opto-mechanical quantum transducers and derive a simple model to describe the effective coupling of the qubits to a common optical fiber. We analyze the implementation of quantum state transfer protocols and study the influence of the intrinsic noise which is added by the opto-mechanical device. Our analysis shows that experimental conditions to achieve high state transfer fidelities are equivalent to conditions necessary for opto-mechanical ground state cooling and therefore are within experimental reach.