A decoherence resilient quantum memory for topological quantum skyrmions

A decoherence resilient quantum memory for topological quantum skyrmions | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A decoherence resilient quantum memory for topological quantum skyrmions Hong Gao, Chengyuan Wang, Yongkun Zhou, Shuya Zhang, Yun Chen, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8838054/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Quantum skyrmions as topologically structured quantum photonic states are promising candidates for enabling robust quantum information processing in real-world environments where entanglement is fragile. The state-of-the-art allows their creation as single photon and entangled states, but their storage in a quantum memory is crucial to realise real applications, e.g., quantum repeaters for quantum networks as well as gates and synchronisation for quantum computers. Here we demonstrate the first entanglement mediated quantum memory of quantum skyrmions in cold atomic ensembles. To achieve this, we produce the first narrow-band quantum skyrmions from spontaneous four‑wave mixing, yielding a sub‑natural linewidth compatible with atomic transitions. We then store the spatially encoded photon (one of the entangled pair) in an electromagnetically induced transparency memory, subjecting it to light‑matter interaction and decoherence while its entangled partner remains free, thus demonstrating the first storage and retrieval of quantum topology. Crucially, we observe that the Skyrme number remains resilient even as entanglement decays under storage noise, demonstrating the inherent topological robustness of the non‑local state. Our work establishes cold atomic ensembles as an integrated platform for quantum topological photonics, combining narrowband entanglement generation, reconfigurable topological engineering, and coherent quantum storage. These results bridge structured light, quantum information, and topological physics, and open pathways toward topologically protected quantum repeaters and noise-resilient quantum networks, where topology itself acts as a resource for preserving quantum information. Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical physics/Quantum optics Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical physics/Nonlinear optics Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical physics/Single photons and quantum effects Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files supplementalAdecoherenceresilientquantummemoryfortopologicalquantumskyrmions.pdf A decoherence resilient quantum memory for topological quantum skyrmions Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8838054","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":608454992,"identity":"a9c68800-3640-4ca7-b36a-19af63a65c54","order_by":0,"name":"Hong 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The state-of-the-art allows their creation as single photon and entangled states, but their storage in a quantum memory is crucial to realise real applications, e.g., quantum repeaters for quantum networks as well as gates and synchronisation for quantum computers. Here we demonstrate the first entanglement mediated quantum memory of quantum skyrmions in cold atomic ensembles. To achieve this, we produce the first narrow-band quantum skyrmions from spontaneous four‑wave mixing, yielding a sub‑natural linewidth compatible with atomic transitions. We then store the spatially encoded photon (one of the entangled pair) in an electromagnetically induced transparency memory, subjecting it to light‑matter interaction and decoherence while its entangled partner remains free, thus demonstrating the first storage and retrieval of quantum topology. 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