Observation of nonlocal interference in separated photon channels

Indistinguishability of temporally separated pairwise two-photon state of thermal photons in Franson-type interferometry

The phenomenon of Franson interference with time–energy entangled photon pairs beyond the single-photon coherence length observed upon nonlocal measurement at two space-like separated locations is of particular research interest. Herein, we determine the coherence length of temporally separated pairwise two-photon (TSPT) states of thermal photons emitted from a warm atomic ensemble in Franson-type interferometry, with the setup consisting of two spatially separated unbalanced Michelson interferometers beyond the coherence length of a thermal photon. Using a novel method of square-modulated thermal photons, we show that the sinusoidal Franson-type interference fringe of thermal photons is determined by the presence or absence of TSPT states (corresponding to the time delay between the long and short paths in Franson-type interferometry). We find that the indistinguishability of the TSPT state in the Franson-type interference is independent of the temporal separation of the thermal photons in the TSPT states.

Entangled photon-pair sources based on three-wave mixing in bulk crystals

Entangled photon pairs are a critical resource in quantum communication protocols ranging from quantum key distribution to teleportation. The current workhorse technique for producing photon pairs is via spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) in bulk nonlinear crystals. The increased prominence of quantum networks has led to a growing interest in deployable high performance entangled photon-pair sources. This manuscript provides a review of the state-of-the-art bulk-optics-based SPDC sources with continuous wave pump and discusses some of the main considerations when building for deployment.

Sequential generation of linear cluster states from a single photon emitter

Light states composed of multiple entangled photons—such as cluster states—are essential for developing and scaling-up quantum computing networks. Photonic cluster states can be obtained from single-photon sources and entangling gates, but so far this has only been done with probabilistic sources constrained to intrinsically low efficiencies, and an increasing hardware overhead. Here, we report the resource-efficient generation of polarization-encoded, individually-addressable photons in linear cluster states occupying a single spatial mode. We employ a single entangling-gate in a fiber loop configuration to sequentially entangle an ever-growing stream of photons originating from the currently most efficient single-photon source technology—a semiconductor quantum dot. With this apparatus, we demonstrate the generation of linear cluster states up to four photons in a single-mode fiber. The reported architecture can be programmed for linear-cluster states of any number of photons, that are required for photonic one-way quantum computing schemes.

Generating photonic cluster states using a single non-heralded source and a single entangling gate would optimise scalability and reduce resource overhead. Here, the authors generate up to 4-photon cluster states using a quantum dot coupled to a fibre loop, with a fourfold generation rate of 10 Hz.

High-Dimensional Frequency-Encoded Quantum Information Processing with Passive Photonics and Time-Resolving Detection

In this Letter, we propose a new approach to process high-dimensional quantum information encoded in a photon frequency domain. In contrast to previous approaches based on nonlinear optical processes, no active control of photon energy is required. Arbitrary unitary transformation and projection measurement can be realized with passive photonic circuits and time-resolving detection. A systematic circuit design for a quantum frequency comb with arbitrary size has been given. The criteria to verify quantum frequency correlation has been derived. By considering the practical condition of the detector's finite response time, we show that high-fidelity operation can be readily realized with current device performance. This work will pave the way towards scalable and high-fidelity quantum information processing based on high-dimensional frequency encoding.

Clocks without "Time" in Entangled-State Experiments

Entangled states of light exhibit measurable correlations between light detections at separated locations. These correlations are exploited in entangled-state quantum key distribution. To do so involves setting up and maintaining a rhythm of communication among clocks at separated locations. Here, we try to disentangle our thinking about clocks as used in actual experiments from theories of time, such as special relativity or general relativity, which already differ between each other. Special relativity intertwines the concept of time with a particular definition of the synchronization of clocks, which precludes synchronizing every clock to every other clock. General relativity imposes additional barriers to synchronization, barriers that invite seeking an alternative depending on any global concept of time. To this end, we focus on how clocks are actually used in some experimental situations. We show how working with clocks without worrying about time makes it possible to generalize some designs for quantum key distribution and also clarifies the need for alternatives to the special-relativistic definition of synchronization.

Experimental interference of uncorrelated photons

The distinguishing of the multiphoton quantum interference effect from the classical one forms one of the most important issues in modern quantum mechanics and experimental quantum optics. For a long time, the two-photon interference (TPI) of correlated photons has been recognized as a pure quantum effect that cannot be simulated with classical lights. In the meantime, experiments have been carried out to investigate the classical analogues of the TPI. In this study, we conduct TPI experiments with uncorrelated photons with different center frequencies from a luminescent light source, and we compare our results with the previous ones of correlated photons. The observed TPI fringe can be expressed in the form of three phase terms related to the individual single-photon and two-photon states, and the fringe pattern is strongly affected by the two single-photon-interference fringes and also by their visibilities. With the exception of essential differences such as valid and accidental coincidence events within a given resolving time and the two-photon spectral bandwidth, the interference phenomenon itself exhibits the same features for both correlated and uncorrelated photons in the single-photon counting regime.

High-visibility Franson interference of time-energy entangled photon pairs from warm atomic ensemble

We experimentally demonstrate Franson interference of a time-energy entangled photon pair generated via collective two-photon coherence in the 5S_1/2-5P_3/2-5D_5/2 transition of warm Rb87 atoms. The two unbalanced Michelson interferometers used in our setup are spatially separated in order to understand entanglement as a nonlocal property of the photon pairs from the warm atomic ensemble. We observe a Franson interference fringe with a high visibility of 99.1±1.3% with continuous-wave-mode photon pairs from the cascade-type atomic ensemble. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first demonstration of the nonlocal two-photon interference experiment in separated photon channels by use of two-photon pairs emitted from a cascade-type atomic system as originally proposed by Franson [Phys. Rev. Lett.62, 2205 (1989)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.62.2205].

Time-Energy Entangled Photon Pairs from Doppler-Broadened Atomic Ensemble via Collective Two-Photon Coherence

We experimentally demonstrate two-photon interference of a time-energy entangled photon pair generated via collective two-photon coherence in Doppler-broadened cascade-type ^{87}Rb atoms. The two photons originally proposed by J. D. Franson are realized as a photon pair due to collective effects, which are generated from the cascade atomic system with a relatively long lifetime of the initial state and a considerably shorter lifetime of the intermediate state. The achievement of two-photon interference with photon-pair sources generated from inhomogeneous atomic ensembles constitutes an important result for time-energy entanglement based on an atom-photon interaction.

Postselection-Loophole-Free Bell Violation with Genuine Time-Bin Entanglement

Entanglement is an invaluable resource for fundamental tests of physics and the implementation of quantum information protocols such as device-independent secure communications. In particular, time-bin entanglement is widely exploited to reach these purposes both in free space and optical fiber propagation, due to the robustness and simplicity of its implementation. However, all existing realizations of time-bin entanglement suffer from an intrinsic postselection loophole, which undermines their usefulness. Here, we report the first experimental violation of Bell's inequality with "genuine" time-bin entanglement, free of the postselection loophole. We introduced a novel function of the interferometers at the two measurement stations, that operate as fast synchronized optical switches. This scheme allowed us to obtain a postselection-loophole-free Bell violation of more than 9 standard deviations. Since our scheme is fully implementable using standard fiber-based components and is compatible with modern integrated photonics, our results pave the way for the distribution of genuine time-bin entanglement over long distances.

Extended phase-matching properties of periodically poled potassium niobate crystals for mid-infrared polarization-entangled photon-pair generation

We report the extended phase-matching (EPM) properties of two kinds of periodically poled potassium niobate (KNbO₃ or KN) crystals (i.e., periodic 180°- and 90°-domain structures) that are highly useful for the generation of polarization-entangled photon pairs in the mid-infrared (IR) spectral region. Under the degenerate Type II spontaneous parametric downconversion process satisfying the EPM condition, an input single photon with a frequency of 2ω generates a pair of synchronized photons with identical frequencies of ω that are orthogonally polarized with respect to each other (i.e., the frequency-coincident, polarization-entangled biphoton states). Our simulation results illustrate that the EPM is achievable in the mid-IR spectral region: at the wavelengths of 3.80 μm and 4.03 μm for periodic 90°- and 180°-domain structures, respectively. We will describe in detail the EPM properties of both cases in terms of interaction types and the corresponding nonlinear optic coefficients, phase-matching bandwidths, and domain poling periods. The calculated EPM bandwidths are much broader than 200 nm in the mid-IR for both cases, exhibiting a great potential for nonlinear-optic signal processing in quantum communication systems operating in the mid-IR bands.

Hacking the Bell test using classical light in energy-time entanglement-based quantum key distribution

Photonic systems based on energy-time entanglement have been proposed to test local realism using the Bell inequality. A violation of this inequality normally also certifies security of device-independent quantum key distribution (QKD) so that an attacker cannot eavesdrop or control the system. We show how this security test can be circumvented in energy-time entangled systems when using standard avalanche photodetectors, allowing an attacker to compromise the system without leaving a trace. We reach Bell values up to 3.63 at 97.6% faked detector efficiency using tailored pulses of classical light, which exceeds even the quantum prediction. This is the first demonstration of a violation-faking source that gives both tunable violation and high faked detector efficiency. The implications are severe: the standard Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality cannot be used to show device-independent security for energy-time entanglement setups based on Franson's configuration. However, device-independent security can be reestablished, and we conclude by listing a number of improved tests and experimental setups that would protect against all current and future attacks of this type.

Experimental demonstration of a flexible time-domain quantum channel

We present an experimental realization of a flexible quantum channel where the Hilbert space dimensionality can be controlled electronically. Using electro-optical modulators (EOM) and narrow-band optical filters, quantum information is encoded and decoded in the temporal degrees of freedom of photons from a long-coherence-time single-photon source. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of a generic scheme for encoding and transmitting multidimensional quantum information over the existing fiber-optical telecommunications infrastructure.

Telecom-band degenerate-frequency photon pair generation in silicon microring cavities

In this Letter, telecom-band degenerate-frequency photon pairs are generated in a specific mode of a silicon microring cavity by the nondegenerate spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) process, under two continuous-wave pumps at resonance wavelength of two different cavity modes. The ratio of coincidence to accidental coincidence is up to 100 under a time bin width of 5 ns, showing their characteristics of quantum correlation. Their quantum interference in balanced and unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers is investigated theoretically and experimentally, and the results show potential in quantum metrology and quantum information.

Biphoton manipulation with a fiber-based pulse shaper

We demonstrate spectral shaping of entangled photons in the telecom band with a programmable, fiber-based optical filter. The fine-resolution spectral control permits implementation of length-40 Hadamard codes, through which we are able to verify frequency anticorrelation with a 20-fold increase in total counts over that permitted by the equivalent pair of monochromators at the same input flux. By programming the complex spectral transmission function corresponding to a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we also construct variations on Franson interferometers that are free from mechanical instabilities, demonstrating spectral phase independence in the slow-detector limit, in which all temporal features are unobservable. Our configuration furnishes a single, compact arrangement for manipulating telecom biphotons and characterizing their quality.

Multidimensional quantum information based on single-photon temporal wavepackets

We propose a multidimensional quantum information encoding approach based on temporal modulation of single photons, where the Hilbert space can be spanned by an in-principle infinite set of orthonormal temporal profiles. We analyze two specific realizations of such modulation schemes, and show that error rate per symbol can be smaller than 1% for practical implementations. Temporal modulation may enable multidimensional quantum communication over the existing fiber optical infrastructure, as well as provide an avenue for probing high-dimensional entanglement approaching the continuous limit.

Classical analogues of two-photon quantum interference

Chirped-pulse interferometry (CPI) captures the metrological advantages of quantum Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometry in a completely classical system. Modified HOM interferometers are the basis for a number of seminal quantum-interference effects. Here, the corresponding modifications to CPI allow for the first observation of classical analogues to the HOM peak and quantum beating. They also allow a new classical technique for generating phase super-resolution exhibiting a coherence length dramatically longer than that of the laser light, analogous to increased two-photon coherence lengths in entangled states.

Proposed bell experiment with genuine energy-time entanglement

Franson's Bell experiment with energy-time entanglement [Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 2205 (1989)10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.2205] does not rule out all local hidden variable models. This defect can be exploited to compromise the security of Bell inequality-based quantum cryptography. We introduce a novel Bell experiment using genuine energy-time entanglement, based on a novel interferometer, which rules out all local hidden variable models. The scheme is feasible with actual technology.

Generation of correlated photon pairs in a microstructure fiber

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a new method of generating correlated photons in a microstructure fiber by means of a reversed degenerate four-wave-mixing process. Here one photon is annihilated from each of the bichromatic pump pulses to generate a pair of photons at the mean frequency. For a microstructure fiber as short as 1.5 m the measured coincidence counting rate is approximately eight times that of the accidental coincidences with a peak pump power of 0.25 W.

Temporal shaping of entangled photons

We experimentally demonstrate shaping of the two-photon wave function of entangled-photon pairs, utilizing coherent pulse-shaping techniques. By performing spectral-phase manipulations we tailor the second-order correlation function of the photons exactly like a coherent ultrashort pulse. To observe the shaping we perform sum-frequency generation with an ultrahigh flux of entangled photons. At the appropriate conditions, sum-frequency generation performs as a coincidence detector with an ultrashort response time (approximately 100 fs), enabling a direct observation of the two-photon wave function. This property also enables us to demonstrate background-free, high-visibility two-photon interference oscillations.

Mode-locked two-photon states

The concept of mode locking in laser is applied to a two-photon state with frequency entanglement. Cavity enhanced parametric down conversion is found to produce exactly such a state. The mode-locked two-photon state exhibits a comblike correlation function. An unbalanced Hong-Ou-Mandel type interferometer is used to measure the correlation function. A revival of the typical interference dip is observed. We will discuss a scheme for engineering of quantum states in time domain.

Nonlocal pulse shaping with entangled photon pairs

Nonlocal shaping effects in the time or spectral profiles of an entangled photon pair emerging from a pulsed parametric down-converter are observed by spectrally or temporally filtering one of the twin beams. In particular, we demonstrate the appearance of fourth-order ("ghost") interference fringes in the spectrum of one beam conditioned by photodetection at the output of an unbalanced Michelson interferometer placed in the path of the other beam. The coherence time of the pump is the limiting factor for the sharpness of the details in the shaped biphoton spectrum.

Measurement of the photonic de broglie wavelength of entangled photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion

Using a basic Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we demonstrate experimentally the measurement of the photonic de Broglie wavelength of entangled photon pairs (biphotons) generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The observed interference manifests the concept of the photonic de Broglie wavelength. We also discuss the phase uncertainty obtained from the experiment.

Quantum cryptography using optical fibers

Quantum cryptography permits the transmission of secret information whose security is guaranteed by the uncertainty principle. An experimental system for quantum crytography is implemented based on the linear polarization of single photons transmitted by an optical fiber. Polarization-preserving optical fiber and a feedback loop are employed to maintain the state of polarization. Error rates of less than 0.5% are obtained.