We propose a scheme for the remote preparation of entangled matter qubits in free space. For this purpose, a setup of two opposing parabolic mirrors is considered, each one with a single ion trapped at its focus. To get the required entanglement in this extreme multimode scenario, we take advantage of the spontaneous decay, which is usually considered as an apparent nuisance. Using semiclassical methods, we derive an efficient photon-path representation to deal with this problem. We also

more »

... a thorough examination of the experimental feasibility of the scheme. The vulnerabilities arising in realistic implementations reduce the success probability, but leave the fidelity of the generated state unaltered. Our proposal thus allows for the generation of high-fidelity entangled matter qubits with high rate.