Generation Of Quantum States Research Articles

Size-invariant twisted optical modes for the efficient generation of higher-dimensional quantum states

Optical vortex beams are profiled as helical wavefronts with a phase singularity carrying an orbital angular momentum (OAM) associated with their spatial distribution. The transverse intensity distribution of a conventional optical vortex has a strong dependence on the carried topological charge. However, perfect optical vortex (POV) beams have their transverse intensity distribution independent of their charge. Such “size-invariant” POV beams have found exciting applications in optical manipulation, imaging, and communication. In this paper, we investigate the use of POV modes in the efficient generation of high-dimensional quantum states of light. We generate heralded single photons carrying OAM using spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) of POV beams. We show that the heralding efficiency of the SPDC single photons generated with a POV pump is greater than that with normal optical vortex beams. The dimensionality of the two-photon OAM states is increased with POV modes in the pump and projective measurements using Bessel–Gaussian vortex modes that give POV, instead of Laguerre–Gaussian modes.

Direct Tomography of High-Dimensional Density Matrices for General Quantum States of Photons.

Quantum-state tomography is the conventional method used to characterize density matrices for general quantum states. However, the data acquisition time generally scales linearly with the dimension of the Hilbert space, hindering the possibility of dynamic monitoring of a high-dimensional quantum system. Here, we demonstrate a direct tomography protocol to measure density matrices of photons in the position basis through the use of a polarization-resolving camera, where the dimension of density matrices can be as large as 580×580 in our experiment. The use of the polarization-resolving camera enables parallel measurements in the position and polarization basis and as a result, the data acquisition time of our protocol does not increase with the dimension of the Hilbert space and is solely determined by the camera exposure time (on the order of 10ms). Our method is potentially useful for the real-time monitoring of the dynamics of quantum states and paves the way for the development of high-dimensional, time-efficient quantum metrology techniques.

Generation of quantum states with nonlinear squeezing by Kerr nonlinearity.

In quantum optics, squeezing corresponds to the process in which fluctuations of a quadrature operator are reduced below the shot noise limit. In turn, nonlinear squeezing can be defined as reduction of fluctuations related to nonlinear combination of quadrature operators. Quantum states with nonlinear squeezing are a necessary resource for deterministic implementation of high-order quadrature phase gates that are, in turn, sufficient for advanced quantum information processing. We demonstrate that this class of states can be deterministically prepared by employing a single self-Kerr gate accompanied by suitable Gaussian processing. The required Kerr coupling depends on the energy of the initial system and can be made arbitrarily small. We also employ numerical simulations to analyze the effects of imperfections and to show to which extent can they be neglected.

Passive BB84 decoy-state protocol with a flawed source

Passive generation of quantum states in quantum key distribution (QKD) is an elegant solution to utilise an internal source of quantum randomness of the transmitter’s scheme. It can be profitable, for example, in setups running at high repetition rates. However, the original analysis of passive protocol doesn’t consider real-life effects of a laser source, therefore possibly breaches the unconditional security of the scheme. Here we take into account the influence of various laser imperfections and make a refined comparison between active and passive setups. We show that the new bound on the secret key rate of the passive protocol stays similar to the one of an active scheme, thus proving passive generation to be a practical means of constructing QKD systems.

Berry phases of higher spins due to internal geometry of Majorana constellation and relation to quantum entanglement

Majorana stars, the antipodal directions associated with the coherent states that are orthogonal to a spin state, provide a visualization and a geometric understanding of the structures of general quantum states. For example, the Berry phase of a spin-1/2 is given by half the solid angle enclosed by the close path of its Majorana star. It is conceivable that the Berry phase of higher spins may also be related to the geometry of the Majorana constellation. We find that for a spin-1 state, besides the expected contributions from the solid angles enclosed by the close paths of the two Majorana stars, the Berry phase includes a term related to the twist of the relative position vector around the barycenter vector of the two Majorana stars, i.e., the self-rotation of the constellation. Interestingly, if the spin-1 state is taken as a symmetrized two-qubit state, the extra contribution to the Berry phase is given by the self-rotation of the Majorana constellation weighted by the quantum entanglement of the two qubits. This discovery alludes to the relevance of the Majorana stellar geometry in representing the deep structures of quantum states and of quantum entanglement.

Motional n-phonon bundle states of a trapped atom with clock transitions

Quantum manipulation of individual phonons could offer new resources for studying fundamental physics and creating an innovative platform in quantum information science. Here, we propose to generate quantum states of strongly correlated phonon bundles associated with the motion of a trapped atom. Our scheme operates in the atom–phonon resonance regime where the energy spectrum exhibits strong anharmonicity such that energy eigenstates with different phonon numbers can be well-resolved in the parameter space. Compared to earlier schemes operating in the far dispersive regime, the bundle states generated here contain a large steady-state phonon number. Therefore, the proposed system can be used as a high-quality multiphonon source. Our results open up the possibility of using long-lived motional phonons as quantum resources, which could provide a broad physics community for applications in quantum metrology.

Accuracy of Entanglement Detection via Artificial Neural Networks and Human-Designed Entanglement Witnesses

Detection of entangled states is essential in both fundamental and applied quantum physics. However, this task proves to be challenging especially for general quantum states. One can execute full state tomography but this method is time demanding especially in complex systems. Other approaches use entanglement witnesses, these methods tend to be less demanding but lack reliability. Here, we demonstrate that ANN -- artificial neural networks provide a balance between both approaches. In this paper, we make a comparison of ANN performance against witness-based methods for random general 2-qubit quantum states without any prior information on the states. Furthermore, we apply our approach to real experimental data set.

Effect of source statistics on utilizing photon entanglement in quantum key distribution

A workflow for evaluation of entanglement source quality is proposed. Based on quantum state density matrices obtained from theoretical models and experimental data, we make an estimate of a potential performance of a quantum entanglement source in quantum key distribution protocols. This workflow is showcased for continuously pumped spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) source, where it highlights the trade-off between entangled pair generation rate and entanglement quality caused by multiphoton nature of the generated quantum states. We employ this characterization technique to show that secure key rate of down-converted photon pairs is limited to 0.029 bits per detection window due to intrinsic multiphoton contributions. We also report that there exists one optimum gain for continuous-wave down-conversion sources. We find a bound for secure key rate extracted from SPDC sources and make a comparison with perfectly single-pair quantum states, such as those produced by quantum dots.

Detection of k-partite entanglement and k-nonseparability of multipartite quantum states

Identifying the k-partite entanglement and k-nonseparability of general N-partite quantum states is a fundamental issue in quantum information theory. By use of computable inequalities of nonlinear operators, we present some simple and powerful k-partite entanglement and k-nonseparability criteria that work very well and allow for a simple and inexpensive test for the whole hierarchy of k-partite entanglement and k-nonseparability of N-partite systems with k running from N down to 2. We illustrate their strengths by considering several examples in which our criteria perform better than other known detection criteria. We are able to detect k-partite entanglement and k-nonseparability of multipartite systems which have previously not been identified. In addition, our results can be implemented in today's experiments.

Multidimensional Entanglement Generation with Multicore Optical Fibers

Trends in photonic quantum information follow closely the technical progress in classical optics and telecommunications. In this regard, advances in multiplexing optical communications channels have also been pursued for the generation of multi-dimensional quantum states (qudits), since their use is advantageous for several quantum information tasks. One current path leading in this direction is through the use of space-division multiplexing multi-core optical fibers, which provides a new platform for efficiently controlling path-encoded qudit states. Here we report on a parametric down-conversion source of entangled qudits that is fully based on (and therefore compatible with) state-of-the-art multi-core fiber technology. The source design uses modern multi-core fiber beam splitters to prepare the pump laser beam as well as measure the generated entangled state, achieving high spectral brightness while providing a stable architecture. In addition, it can be readily used with any core geometry, which is crucial since widespread standards for multi-core fibers in telecommunications have yet to be established. Our source represents an important step towards the compatibility of quantum communications with the next-generation optical networks.

Generation of quantum states of light in nonlinear AlGaAs chips: engineering and applications

Photonic quantum technologies represent a promising platform for applications ranging from long-distance secure communications to the simulation of complex phenomena. Among the different material platforms, direct bandgap semiconductors offer a wide range of functionalities opening promising perspectives for the implementation of future quantum technologies. In this paper, we review our progress on the generation and manipulation of quantum states of light in nonlinear AlGaAs chips and their use in quantum networks.

Influence of Water Polarization Caused by Phonon Resonance on Catalytic Activity of Enolase.

Enolase is a conservative protein. Its cellular enzymatic activity catalyzes the conversion of 2-phospho-d-glycerate (2-PGA) to a phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) product in the glycolysis pathway. This enzyme also has a multifunctional nature participating in several biological processes. This work aims to determine the effect of water polarization on the catalytic activity of enolase. The experiments have been set based on the concept that water, a polar dielectric, may undergo the phenomenon of electric polarization, decreasing its configurational and vibrational entropy. Prior to the reaction, the 2-PGA substrate was incubated for 5 h in the glass cuvette with an attached chip-inductor. The latter device was designed to transfer quantum information about a given quantum state from the quantum state generator to water by a phonon resonance. Then, such substrate samples preincubated with the chip-inductor were removed every hour in a separate quartz cuvette with the enzyme to determine its catalytic activity. The influence of the chip-inductor on the preincubated substrate resulted in an increase in the catalytic activity of enolase by 30% compared to the control substrate, not preincubated with the chip-inductor. This suggests that the catalytic activity of the enzyme is augmented when the substrate was primed by chip-inductors. In another kind of experiment, wherein enolase was exposed to methylglyoxal modification, the catalytic activity of the enzyme dropped to 71.7%, while the same enzyme glycated with methylglyoxal primed by chip-inductors restored its activity by 8.4%. This shows the protective effect of chip-inductors on enolase activity despite the harmful effect of methylglyoxal on the protein.

Generalized coherence vector applied to coherence transformations and quantifiers

One of the main problems in any quantum resource theory is the characterization of the conversions between resources by means of the free operations of the theory. In this work, we advance on this characterization within the quantum coherence resource theory by introducing the generalized coherence vector of an arbitrary quantum state. The generalized coherence vector is a probability vector that can be interpreted as a concave roof extension of the pure states coherence vector. We show that it completely characterizes the notions of being incoherent, as well as being maximally coherent. Moreover, using this notion and the majorization relation, we obtain a necessary condition for the conversion of general quantum states by means of incoherent operations. These results generalize the necessary conditions of conversions for pure states given in the literature, and show that the tools of the majorization lattice are useful also in the general case. Finally, we introduce a family of coherence quantifiers by considering concave and symmetric functions applied to the generalized coherence vector. We compare this proposal with the convex roof measure of coherence and others quantifiers given in the literature.

Erratum: Generalized quantum state discrimination problems [Phys. Rev. A 91 , 052304 (2015)

Erratum: Generalized quantum state discrimination problems [Phys. Rev. A 91 , 052304 (2015)

Manipulations and quantum tomography of bright squeezed states

Generation and manipulation of continuous variable quantum states are the building blocks of quantum communication, quantum key distribution and quantum networks. According to the second-order nonlinear process of the periodically-poled potassium titanyl phosphate (PPKTP) crystal, we design a semi-monolithic optical parametric amplifier (OPA) cavity to generate the bright squeezed light at a wavelength of 1064 nm. With the injection of a seed beam, the squeezed state generated by the OPA has a coherent amplitude, so called bright squeezed state. The squeezing level is directly observed to be –11.6 dB when the pump power is 310 mW at an analysis frequency of 3 MHz. However, with the increase of the pump power, the purity of the squeezed state gets lower and lower due to the increased influence of the anti-squeezing quadrature component on the squeezed quadrature component in the detection process. To obtain a higher purity of the squeezed state for achieving linear optical manipulation and quantum tomography, we choose the pump power of 50 mW, the squeezing level decreases to –6 dB, and the purity of the squeezed state is 98.5% in this case. An electro-optic modulator is adopted to realize the liner manipulation of the squeezed light in the phase space. During the measurement of the bright squeezed state, all the data are taken on condition that the length of the OPA cavity and relative phase between the seed beam and the pump beam are locked by a locking loop. The direct current (DC) signal of the balanced homodyne detection (BHD) is used to accurately determine the phase corresponding to the time domain signal of the squeezed state, while the alternate current (AC) signal of the BHD is mixed with the signal generated by the function generator, after passing through a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter, the signal is then amplified by using a low-noise amplifier. A high-performance oscilloscope is finally used to simultaneously collect the signals, thus obtaining the quantum noise signal of the bright squeezed light after linear manipulation. Together with the maximum likelihood estimation algorithm, the quantum tomography, the density matrix and the Wigner function of the bright squeezed light are obtained, that is, all the information such as the photon number distribution of the quantum state is determined. Multiple iterations are taken in the maximum likelihood estimation algorithm process to eliminate the influence of the low quantum efficiency on the detection system, so that the density matrix is fitted well with the theoretical results.

Purification complexity without purifications

We generalize the Fubini-Study method for pure-state complexity to generic quantum states by taking Bures metric or quantum Fisher information metric (QFIM) on the space of density matrices as the complexity measure. Due to Uhlmann’s theorem, we show that the mixed-state complexity exactly equals the purification complexity measured by the Fubini-Study metric for purified states but without explicitly applying any purification. We also find the purification complexity is non-increasing under any trace-preserving quantum operations. We also study the mixed Gaussian states as an example to explicitly illustrate our conclusions for purification complexity.

Quantum states as observables: Their variance and nonclassicality

Two basic ingredients in the quantum formalism are the concepts of states and observables, and apart from the average value (which includes the Born probability as a paramountly important case), the variance is the most fundamental and prominent quantity arising from the coupling of a state and an observable. Given the simplicity and ubiquity of the variance, it seems surprising that we can still exploit the variance to gain conceptually different insight into the quantum substratum. The purpose of the present work is to advocate the following idea: By inputting a general quantum state as the observable in the variance and incorporating a resolution of identity induced by coherent states, we obtain a mathematically simple and physically intuitive method for quantifying nonclassicality. We reveal its fundamental properties and highlight its connection with phase-space quantification of nonclassicality. The idea further suggests a whole family of appealing quantifiers of nonclassicality involving deep mathematical subtlety and an intriguing conjecture with physical significance. Some prototypical examples are worked out to illustrate the concept. This approach of regarding states as observables presents an opportunity for investigating quantum features from an alternative perspective of uncertainty.

Sideband-resolved resonator electromechanics based on a nonlinear Josephson inductance probed on the single-photon level

Light-matter interaction in optomechanical systems is the foundation for ultra-sensitive detection schemes as well as the generation of phononic and photonic quantum states. Electromechanical systems realize this optomechanical interaction in the microwave regime. In this context, capacitive coupling arrangements demonstrated interaction rates of up to 280 Hz. Complementary, early proposals and experiments suggest that inductive coupling schemes are tunable and have the potential to reach the single-photon strong-coupling regime. Here, we follow the latter approach by integrating a partly suspended superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) into a microwave resonator. The mechanical displacement translates into a time varying flux in the SQUID loop, thereby providing an inductive electromechanical coupling. We demonstrate a sideband-resolved electromechanical system with a tunable vacuum coupling rate of up to 1.62 kHz, realizing sub-aN Hz−1/2 force sensitivities. The presented inductive coupling scheme shows the high potential of SQUID-based electromechanics for targeting the full wealth of the intrinsically nonlinear optomechanics Hamiltonian.

Characterization of Quantum States Based on Creation Complexity

AbstractThe creation complexity of a quantum state is the minimum number of elementary gates required to create it from a basic initial state. The creation complexity of quantum states is closely related to the complexity of quantum circuits, which is crucial in developing efficient quantum algorithms that can outperform classical algorithms. A major question unanswered so far is what quantum states can be created with a number of elementary gates that scales polynomially with the number of qubits. In this work, it is first shown that for an entirely general quantum state it is exponentially hard (requires a number of steps that scales exponentially with the number of qubits) to determine if the creation complexity is polynomial. Then, it is shown that it is possible for a large class of quantum states with polynomial creation complexity to have common coefficient features such that, given any candidate quantum state, an efficient coefficient sampling procedure can be designed to determine if the state belongs to the class or not with arbitrarily high success probability. Consequently, partial knowledge of a quantum state's creation complexity is obtained, which can be useful for designing quantum circuits and algorithms involving such a state.

Deterministic quantum entanglement between macroscopic ferrite samples

We show how macroscopic magnetic samples like yttrium iron garnet samples are excellent candidates for producing deterministic quantum entanglement and, thus, providing a platform for quantum information science. This requires strong coupling with a high quality cavity, which, in turn, provides an effective coupling between the two samples. For modest values of the squeezing of the pump, we obtain significant entanglement between the two garnet samples. This is the principal feature of our scheme. We present a number of tests for entanglement in terms of the experimentally observed quantities and, in this way, unfold a paradigm for producing entanglement. We also generate quantum states of collective magnon variables.