Connecting two Gaussian cluster states by quantum entanglement swapping

Cluster state is an important resource for one-way quantum computation and quantum network. In this paper, we present a scheme for connecting two Gaussian cluster states by entanglement swapping, which can be used to connect two local quantum networks composed by cluster states. The connection schemes between different types of four-mode cluster states are analyzed and we show that the structure of the output states after entanglement swapping may be not the same as that of the input states. The entanglement of the obtained new cluster states are presented when suitable feedforward schemes are applied in the entanglement swapping process. By using optimal gains in the classical channel and inseparability criteria, the requirement of squeezing parameters for obtaining entanglement of output states are reduced. The presented scheme provides a concrete reference for constructing quantum networks with cluster states. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement