Single-step fabrication of scalable multimode quantum resources using four-wave mixing with a spatially structured pump

Multimode quantum resources or states, in which quantum correlations are shared and distributed among multiple parties, are important not only for fundamental tests of quantum effects but also for their numerous possible applications in quantum technologies, such as quantum imaging and quantum metrology. Here we demonstrate the single-step fabrication of a multimode quantum resource from four-wave mixing (FWM) process in hot Rb vapor using a spatially structured pump, which consists of a coherent combination of two tilted pump beams. During this FWM process, one probe beam is amplified, three conjugate and two new probe beams are generated. The measured degrees of the intensity squeezing for the four-beam case and six-beam case are around -4.1±0.1 dB and -4.7±0.1 dB, respectively. The generated multiple quantum correlated beams are naturally separated with distinct directions, which is crucial for sending them out to quantum nodes at different locations in quantum communication. Our scheme is compact, simple, phase insensitive, and easily scalable to larger number of quantum-correlated modes.