Abstract
Photon indistinguishability plays a fundamental role in information processing, with applications such as linear-optical quantum computation and metrology. It is then necessary to develop appropriate tools to quantify the amount of this resource in a multiparticle scenario. Here we report a four-photon experiment in a linear-optical interferometer designed to simultaneously estimate the degree of indistinguishability between three pairs of photons. The interferometer design dispenses with the need of heralding for parametric down-conversion sources, resulting in an efficient and reliable optical scheme. We then use a recently proposed theoretical framework to quantify four-photon indistinguishability, as well as to obtain bounds on three unmeasured two-photon overlaps. Our findings are in high agreement with the theory, and represent a new resource-effective technique for the characterization of multiphoton interference.
Highlights
Photon indistinguishability is a key concept in quantum physics, which can be characterized via two-particle interference [1]
From the first experimental observation carried out using entangled photons produced by a parametric down-conversion source [2], the quantum signature of this phenomenon, known as Hong–Ou– Mandel (HOM) effect, has proved to be essential for tasks such as characterization of single photon sources, practical protocols of quantum communication [3,4,5] and quantum computation
We present an approach for quantifying indistinguishability in multiphoton experiments. To this aim we focus on extracting information from sets of two-photon HOM experiments realizable in a single interferometer with a suitable design
Summary
Taira Giordani , Daniel J Brod , Chiara Esposito , Niko Viggianiello, Marco Romano, Fulvio Flamini , Gonzalo Carvacho, Nicolò Spagnolo , Ernesto F Galvão and Fabio Sciarrino. Photon indistinguishability plays a fundamental role in information processing, with applications. Any further distribution of such as linear-optical quantum computation and metrology. It is necessary to develop this work must maintain attribution to the appropriate tools to quantify the amount of this resource in a multiparticle scenario. We report a author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation four-photon experiment in a linear-optical interferometer designed to simultaneously estimate the and DOI. Degree of indistinguishability between three pairs of photons. The interferometer design dispenses with the need of heralding for parametric down-conversion sources, resulting in an efficient and reliable optical scheme. We use a recently proposed theoretical framework to quantify fourphoton indistinguishability, as well as to obtain bounds on three unmeasured two-photon overlaps. Our findings are in high agreement with the theory, and represent a new resource-effective technique for the characterization of multiphoton interference
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