Entangled multiphoton sources are essential for both fundamental tests of quantum foundations and building blocks of contemporary optical quantum technologies. While efforts over the past three decades have focused on creating multiphoton entanglement through multiplexing existing biphoton sources with linear optics and postselections, our work presents a groundbreaking approach. We observe genuine continuous-mode time-energy-entangled W-class triphotons with an unprecedented production rate directly generated through spontaneous six-wave mixing (SSWM) in a four-level triple-Λ atomic vapor cell. Using electromagnetically induced transparency and coherence control, our SSWM scheme allows versatile narrowband triphoton generation with advantageous properties, including long temporal coherence and controllable waveforms. This advancement is ideal for applications like long-distance quantum communications and information processing, bridging single photons and neutral atoms. Most importantly, our work establishes a reliable and efficient genuine triphoton source, facilitating accessible research on multiphoton entanglement.

Measuring the spectral properties of an optical frequency comb is among the most fundamental tasks of precision metrology. In contrast to general single-parameter measurement schemes, we demonstrate here single shot multi-parameter estimation of an optical frequency comb at and beyond the standard quantum limit. The mean energy and the central frequency as well as the spectral bandwidth of ultrafast pulses are simultaneously determined with a multi-pixel spectrally resolved (MPSR) apparatus, without changing the photonics architecture. Moreover, using a quantum frequency comb that intrinsically consists of multiple squeezed states in a family of Hermite–Gaussian spectral/temporal modes, the signal-to-noise ratios of the multiple spectral parameters estimation can surpass the standard quantum limit. Combining our multi-pixel detection scheme and the multimode entangled resource could find applications in ultrafast quantum metrology and multimode quantum information processing.

Multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering is an essential resource for quantum communication networks where the reliability of the equipment at all of the nodes cannot be fully trusted. Here, we present the experimental generation of a highly versatile and flexible repository of multipartite steering using an optical frequency comb and ultrafast pulse shaping. Simply modulating the optical spectral resolution of the detection system using the pulse shaper, this scheme is able to produce on-demand four-, eight-, and 16-mode Gaussian steering without changing the photonics architecture. We find that the steerability increases with a higher spectral resolution. For the 16-mode state, we identify as many as 65 534 possible steering bipartitions existing in this intrinsic multimode quantum resource, and demonstrate that the prepared state steerability is robust to mode losses. Moreover, we verify four types of monogamy relations of Gaussian steering and demonstrate the constraint imposed by one of them to be strongly lifted. Our method offers a powerful foundation for constructing quantum networks in real-world scenarios.

We theoretically demonstrate through numerical methods that the triple-photon state generated by three-photon spontaneous parametric down-conversion is a non-Gaussian Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state, showing super-Gaussian statistics. Interestingly, the degree of entanglement between the modes of the triple-photon state is stronger than that corresponding to the two-mode squeezed vacuum state produced by a quadratic Hamiltonian with the same parameters. Furthermore, we propose a model to prepare two-mode sub-Gaussian entangled states with a tunable negative Wigner function based on quadrature projection measurements. We find that these Gaussian projection measurements with outcomes $X\ge 1$ not only improve the entanglement of the residual two modes but also introduce a Gaussian component, resulting in the coexistence of Gaussian and non-Gaussian entanglement.

Quantum key distribution with continuous variables already uses advantageous high-speed single-mode homodyne detection with low electronic noise at room temperature. Together with continuous-variable information encoding to nonclassical states, the distance for secure key transmission through lossy channels can approach 300 km in current optical fibers. Such protocols tolerate higher channel noise and also limited data processing efficiency compared to coherent-state protocols. The secret key rate can be further increased by increasing the system clock rates, and, further, by a suitable frequency-mode-multiplexing of optical transmission channels. However, the multiplexed modes couple together in the source or any other part of the protocol. Therefore, multiplexed communication will experience cross talk and the gain can be minuscule. Advantageously, homodyne detectors allow solving this cross-talk problem by proper data processing. It is a potential advantage over protocols with single-photon detectors, which do not enable similar data processing techniques. We demonstrate the positive outcome of this methodology on the experimentally characterized frequency-multiplexed entangled source of femtosecond optical pulses with natural cross talk between eight entangled pairs of modes. As the main result, we predict the almost 15-fold higher secret key rate. This experimental test and analysis of frequency-multiplexed entanglement source open the way for the field implementation of high-capacity quantum key distribution with continuous variables.

Multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering has been recognized as an essential resource for secure quantum communication tasks composed of several spatially separated parties who cannot be fully trusted. Nevertheless, this resource cannot be distributed arbitrarily over many parties; for instance, two independent players cannot simultaneously steer the third party by two-setting measurements. This feature is referred to as monogamy of steering, which ensures the security of quantum cryptographic protocols and is thus a very desired property to investigate for multipartite steering. Here, we propose symmetric and asymmetric structures of cascaded four-wave mixing of rubidium atoms to generate versatile quadripartite EPR steering and investigate four distinct types of monogamy relations of Gaussian steering. We find that the distribution constraint described by one of the monogamy relations can be lifted only for the quadripartite steering created by the symmetric setup. This result paves the way for a better understanding of the distribution rules of multipartite EPR steering and its potential applications for secure quantum communication.