Complete and deterministic discrimination of polarization Bell states assisted by momentum entanglement

Abstract

A complete and deterministic Bell state measurement was realized by a simple linear optics experimental scheme which adopts two-photon polarization-momentum hyperentanglement. The scheme, which is based on the discrimination among the single photon Bell states of the hyperentangled state, requires the adoption of standard single photon detectors. The four polarization Bell states have been measured with average fidelity $F=0.889\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010$ by using the linear momentum degree of freedom as the ancilla. The feasibility of the scheme has been characterized as a function of the purity of momentum entanglement.