Creating quantum correlations in generalized entanglement swapping

Abstract

We study how different types of quantum correlations can be established as the consequence of a generalized entanglement swapping protocol where starting from two Bell pairs (1, 2) and (3, 4), a general quantum measurement (denoted by a positive operator-valued measure or POVM) is performed on the pair (2, 3), which results in creating quantum correlation in (1,4) shared between two spatially separated observers. Contingent upon using different kinds of POVMs, we show generation or destruction of different quantum correlations in the pairs (1, 4), (1, 2) and (3, 4). This thus reflects non-trivial transfer of quantum correlations from the pairs (1, 2) and (3, 4) to the pair (1, 4). As an offshoot, this study provides with operational tools in the basic entanglement swapping setup by choosing appropriate measurements to generate divergent single parameter classes of quantum correlated mixed states shared between two spatially separated particles (1, 4) without any interaction between them.