Two-photon States Research Articles

Generation of broadband indistinguishable two-photon state in the telecom band

Generation of broadband indistinguishable two-photon state in the telecom band

Study of Two-Photon induced excited state absorption of Three-Branched triphenylamine Derivatives: Cooperative and Anti-Cooperative effect of electron transition in the excited state

For multi-branched molecules, intramolecular cooperative effect can significantly enhance the molecular nonlinear optical absorption. Three triphenylamine-cored compounds (N1, N2 and N3) with three branches are synthesized to study the cooperative and anti-cooperative effect of electron transition in the excited state on two-photon absorption (TPA) and excited state absorption (ESA). Molecular polarization of these multi-branched triphenylamine derivatives is regulated by changing the molecular symmetry and the planarity of peripheral branches, to regulate their charge distribution and electron transition characteristics in the excited state. Here, we show that due to electronic coupling and interaction between certain branches, the asymmetric distribution of electron clouds in the excited states of these multi-branched molecules will lead to an enhancement of their TPA and ESA cross-sections, which is known as the cooperative effect of electron transitions. On the contrary, electronic coupling and interaction among all branches will lead to a highly symmetric distribution of electron clouds in the excited states of these multi-branched molecules, which will cause anti-cooperative effects and result in significant attenuation of TPA and ESA cross-sections.

Quantum state transfer in a ring geometry of optical waveguides having nonuniform couplings

The quantum state transfer of a system of N coupled waveguides in a ring geometry, where the last waveguide is coupled to the first one is considered. The coupling parameters are chosen not to be equal, but to vary according to the position of the waveguides. We examine the fidelity between different waveguides in order to check if it is possible to achieve a perfect state transfer (PST). We focused our analysis on the single-photon Fock state and the two-photon N00N state. Very high values of fidelity (> 95%) were found for both cases, but the PST was only observed for the single-photon Fock state.

Impact of Classical and Quantum Light on Donor-Acceptor-Donor Molecules.

Investigations of entangled and classical two-photon absorption have been carried out for six donor (D)-acceptor (A)-donor (D) compounds containing the dithieno pyrrole (DTP) unit as donor and acceptors with systematically varied electronic properties. Comparing ETPA (quantum) and TPA (classical) results reveals that the ETPA cross section decreases with increasing TPA cross section for molecules with highly off-resonant excited states for single-photon excitation. Theory (TDDFT) results are in semiquantitative agreement with this anticorrelated behavior due to the dependence of the ETPA cross section but not TPA on the two-photon excited state lifetime. The largest cross section is found for a DTP derivative that has a single photon excitation energy closest to resonance with half the two-photon excitation energy. These results are important for the possible use of quantum light for low-intensity energy-conversion applications.

Fully controllable time-bin entangled states distributed over 100-km single-mode fibers

Quantum networks that can perform user-defined protocols beyond quantum key distribution will require fully controllable entangled quantum states. To expand the available space of generated time-bin entangled states, we demonstrate a time-bin entangled photon source that produces qubit states |ψ〉=α|00〉+β|11〉\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$|{\\psi}\\rangle = \\alpha |{00}\\rangle + \\beta |{11}\\rangle $\\end{document} with fully controllable phase and amplitudes. Eight different two-photon states have been selected and prepared from arbitrary states on the reduced two-qubit Bloch sphere. The photon pairs encoded in the time-bin scheme were generated at 2.4 MHz with a visibility of V=0.9475±0.0016\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$V = 0.9475 \\pm 0.0016$\\end{document}, with a violation of the CHSH Bell’s inequality by 197 standard deviations. After entanglement distribution over 100 km of single-mode fibers, we obtained a visibility of V=0.9541±0.0113\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$V = 0.9541 \\pm 0.0113$\\end{document} with a violation of the CHSH Bell’s inequality by 6 standard deviations. The prepared states had an average fidelity of 0.9540±0.0016\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$0.9540 \\pm 0.0016$\\end{document} at the source and an average fidelity of 0.9353−0.0209+0.0100\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$0.9353 ^{+0.0100}_{-0.0209}$\\end{document} after entanglement distribution, which shows that the quantum states generated by our time-bin entangled photon source can be fully controlled potentially to a level applicable to long-distance advanced quantum network systems.

On-chip quantum NOON state sensing for temperature and humidity

Abstract A maximal photon number entangled state, namely NOON state, can be adopted for sensing with a quantum enhanced precision. In this work, we designed silicon quantum photonic chips containing two types of Mach–Zehnder interferometers wherein the two-photon NOON state, sensing element for temperature or humidity, is generated. Compared with classical light or single photon case, two-photon NOON state sensing shows a solid enhancement in the sensing resolution and precision. As the first demonstration of on-chip quantum photonic sensing, it reveals the advantages of photonic chips for high integration density, small-size, stability for multiple-parameter sensing serviceability. A higher sensing precision is expected to beat the standard quantum limit with a higher photon number NOON state.

Multiparameter cascaded quantum interferometer

We theoretically propose a multiparameter cascaded quantum interferometer in which a two-input and two-output setup is obtained by concatenating 50:50 beam splitters with n independent and adjustable time delays. A general method for deriving the coincidence probability of such an interferometer is given based on the linear transformation of the matrix of beam splitters. As examples, we analyze the interference characteristics of one-, two-, and three-parameter cascaded quantum interferometers with different frequency correlations and input states. Some typical interferograms of such interferometers are provided to reveal richer and more complicated two-photon interference phenomena. This work offers a general theoretical framework for designing versatile quantum interferometers and provides a convenient method for deriving the coincidence probabilities involved. In principle, arbitrary two-input and two-output experimental setups can be designed with the framework. Potential applications can be found in the complete spectral characterization of two-photon states, multiparameter estimation, and quantum metrology.

Generation of multi-photon Fock states at telecommunication wavelength using picosecond pulsed light

Multi-photon Fock states have diverse applications such as optical quantum information processing. For the implementation of quantum information processing, Fock states should be generated within the telecommunication wavelength band, particularly in the C-band (1530-1565 nm). This is because mature optical communication technologies can be leveraged for transmission, manipulation, and detection. Additionally, to achieve high-speed quantum information processing, Fock states should be generated in optical pulses with as short a duration as possible, as this allows embedding lots of information in the time domain. In this paper, we successfully generate picosecond pulsed multi-photon Fock states (single-photon and two-photon states) in the C-band with Wigner negativities for the first time, which are verified by pulsed homodyne tomography. In our experimental setup, we utilize a single-pixel superconducting nanostrip photon-number-resolving detector (SNSPD), which is expected to facilitate the high-rate generation of various quantum states. This capability stems from the high temporal resolution of SNSPDs (several tens of picoseconds in our case and also in general) allowing us to increase the repetition frequency of pulsed light from the conventional MHz range to the GHz range, although in this experiment the repetition frequency is limited to 10 MHz due to the bandwidth of the homodyne detector. Consequently, our experimental setup is anticipated to serve as a prototype of a high-speed optical quantum state generator for ultrafast quantum information processing at telecommunication wavelength.

Heralded high-efficiency entanglement concentration of cluster states for photon systems with linear optics via time-delay effect

Entanglement concentration stands as a pivotal technique to safeguard against degraded fidelity in long-distance quantum communication. In this manuscript, propose ultra-efficient entanglement concentration protocols (ECPs) tailored for less-entangled two-photon cluster states and four-photon cluster states with two unknown parameters, leveraging simple linear optical elements and acute single-photon detectors. Additionally, ancillary photons, post-selection techniques, or photon-number-resolving detectors are unnecessary for complete identification of the parity-check measurement. By coordinating auxiliary time degrees of freedom and implementing multiple recycling conditions, the success of two ECPs can be heralded by detection signatures without compromising the incident qubits, thereby allowing their efficiencies to be close to 0.75, in principle. The combination of heralded detection and basic linear optical elements renders our practical ECPs accessible for experimental exploration with current technology.

Manipulation and applications of ultrafast all-optical switching based on transient absorption and dispersion in KTN crystals.

Potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) represents a noteworthy category of optical crystals known for their superior nonlinear optical properties. In this study, we conducted measurements of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption (TA) spectra in KTa0.57Nb0.43O3 crystals. Notably, a rapid and pronounced "plateau" phase, ∼1.5 ps in duration, was detected at the onset of the TA kinetics and succeeded by two distinct decay components, exhibiting lifetimes of ∼140 ps and over 10 ns, respectively. We attribute these observations to a decay process involving two-photon absorption, dispersion characteristics, and excited state absorption. Based on this unique TA characteristic of KTN crystals, an all-optical switching strategy was proposed and utilized to measure the ultrafast lasing dynamics of single-crystal CH3NH3PbBr3 nanowires. This polarization-independent TA gate approach offers an adjustable gate width combining ps and ns time scales and introduces a versatile tool for advanced optical applications.

Facile dual-shot measurement of Schmidt number in type-0 and type-2 downconversion

High-dimensional entangled states have now been identified as excellent candidates towards the enhancement of the bandwidth of quantum systems. A variety of methods exist that aim to certify and set the bounds to entanglement. However, rapid and accurate approaches for precise quantification of the dimensions remain a challenge. Here, we report a facile, rapid and robust approach that quantifies a wide range of the spatial dimensions of high-dimensional entangled states using an interferometric technique using only two images. Our process works for a class of pure two-photon states, regardless of its separability and provides a fast and easy way to accurately measure the spatial Schmidt number which is a quantitative measure of dimensionality of entanglement. We apply our method to two-photon states generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) and show that our results are in excellent agreement with numerical estimates. Since such estimates only exist for collinear phase matching in SPDC crystals, we also derive a noncollinear phase-matching condition applicable for type-2 crystals. In these nonlinear crystals, the commonly applied assumption of degenerate daughter photons no longer holds, leading to deviations from earlier theoretical predictions. Our interferometric technique provides excellent results for both type-0 and type-2 collinear phase-matching conditions, endorsing its wide applicability in quantum photonics. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Fiber loop quantum buffer for photonic qubits

We report a fiber loop quantum buffer based on a low-loss 2 × 2 switch and a unit delay made of a fiber delay line. We characterize the device by using a two-photon polarization entangled state in which one photon of the entangled photon pair is stored and retrieved at a repetition rate up to 78 kHz. The device, which enables integer multiples of a unit delay, can store the qubit state in a unit of fiber delay line up to 5.4 km and the number of loop round-trips up to 3. Furthermore, we configure the device with other active elements to realize integer multiplier and divider of a unit delay of a qubit. The quantum state tomography is performed on the retrieved photon and its entangled photon. We obtain a state fidelity > 94 % with a maximum storage time of 52 s with an insertion loss of 5.56 dB. To further characterize the storing and retrieving processes of the device, we perform entanglement-assisted quantum process tomography on the buffered qubit state. The process fidelity of the device is > 0.98. Our result implies that the device preserves the superposition and entanglement of a qubit state from a two-photon polarization-entangled state. This is a significant step towards facilitating applications in optical asynchronous transfer mode based quantum networks.

Bundle Structure of Massless Unitary Representations of the Poincaré Group

Reviewing the construction of induced representations of the Poincaré group of four-dimensional spacetime we find all massive representations, including the ones on interacting many-particle states. Massless momentum wavefunctions of non-vanishing helicity turn out to be more precisely sections of a U(1)-bundle over the massless shell, a property which to date was overlooked in quantum field theory and in bracket notation. Our traditional notation of states in Hilbert space enables questions about square integrability and smoothness. Their answers complete the picture of relativistic quantum physics. Frobenius reciprocity prohibits massless one-particle states with total angular momentum less than the modulus of the helicity. There is no two-photon state with J=1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$J=1$$\\end{document}, explaining the longevity of orthopositronium. Partial derivatives of the momentum wave functions are no operators in the space of massless states with nonvanishing helicity. They allow only for covariant, noncommuting derivatives. The massless shell has a noncommutative geometry with helicity being its topological charge.

Polarization entanglement generation in silicon nitride waveguide-coupled dual microring resonators.

Polarization-entangled photon pair sources exhibiting nonlocal quantum correlations are crucial to developments of quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum cryptography, and quantum sensing technologies. On-chip polarization entanglement generation thus constitutes one enabling component for integrated quantum photonic circuits. Here, we present to our knowledge the first polarization-entangled photon pair sources in a silicon nitride platform for integrated quantum photonic circuits. We demonstrate the generation of a polarization-entangled state by adopting a configuration comprising dual microring resonators, with nearly degenerate transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarized cavity resonances for the two resonators coupled in series to a common bus waveguide. We measure two-photon interference and quantum state tomography to characterize the polarization entanglement of the generated state and to reconstruct the density matrix. Our experiments reveal a visibility of 96.4% ± 3.1% and of 86.7% ± 3.2% with the |H⟩ and |V⟩ bases, respectively (and a visibility of 89.4% ± 6.6% and 81.3% ± 7.3% with the |D⟩ and |A⟩ bases), and a fidelity of ∼75.7% from the tomographic reconstructed density matrix.

Delay-induced spontaneous dark-state generation from two distant excited atoms

We investigate the collective non-Markovian dynamics of two fully excited two-level atoms coupled to a one-dimensional waveguide in the presence of delay. We demonstrate that analogous to the well-known superfluorescence phenomena, where an inverted atomic ensemble synchronizes to enhance its emission, there is a “subfluorescence” effect that synchronizes the atoms into an entangled dark state depending on the interatomic separation. The phenomenon can lead to a two-photon bound state in the continuum. Our results are pertinent to long-distance quantum networks, presenting a mechanism for spontaneous entanglement generation between distant quantum emitters. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Practical Method for Achieving Single-Photon Femtosecond Time-Resolved Spectroscopy: Transient Stimulated Emission.

Recent advances in single-photon femtosecond spectroscopy have highlighted the power of entangled photons in probing the properties of materials, previously inaccessible through semiclassical spectroscopic approaches. In this study, we theoretically propose a new single-photon-based femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy technique termed single-photon transient stimulated emission (SP-TSE). SP-TSE not only enables the selective investigation of singly excited superposition states but also harnesses the quantum mechanical nature of photons for the efficient data acquisition of transient responses, thereby supporting the feasibility of experimental realization of SP-TSE. The key aspect of SP-TSE is the selective detection of two-photon states produced through stimulated emission using coincidence counting techniques. Our theoretical framework, supported by numerical simulations, demonstrates the efficacy in capturing the pure decoherence dynamics of a model molecular cavity, highlighting its potential to reveal quantum mechanical properties that are difficult to observe with semiclassical femtosecond time-resolved experiments.

Near-infrared two-photon absorption and excited state dynamics of a fluorescent diarylethene derivative

Near-infrared two-photon absorption and excited state dynamics of a fluorescent diarylethene (fDAE) derivative were investigated by time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Prescreening with quantum chemical calculation predicted that a derivative with methylthienyl groups (mt-fDAE) in the closed-ring isomer has a two-photon absorption cross-section larger than 1000 GM, which was experimentally verified by Z-scan measurements and excitation power dependence in transient absorption. Comparison of transient absorption spectra under one-photon and simultaneous two-photon excitation conditions revealed that the closed-ring isomer of mt-fDAE populated into higher excited states deactivates following three pathways on a timescale of ca. 200 fs: (i) the cycloreversion reaction more efficient than that by the one-photon process, (ii) internal conversion into the S1 state, and (iii) relaxation into a lower state (S1’ state) different from the S1 state. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements demonstrated that this S1’ state is relaxed to the S1 state with the large emission probability. These findings obtained in the present work contribute to extension of the ON–OFF switching capability of fDAE to the biological window and application to super-resolution fluorescence imaging in a two-photon manner.Graphical

Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill Encoding in Continuous Modal Variables of Single Photons.

GKP states, introduced by Gottesman, Kitaev, and Preskill, are continuous variable logical qubits that can be corrected for errors caused by phase space displacements. Their experimental realization is challenging, in particular, using propagating fields, where quantum information is encoded in the quadratures of the electromagnetic field. However, traveling photons are essential in many applications of GKP codes involving the long-distance transmission of quantum information. We introduce a new method for encoding GKP states in propagating fields using single photons, each occupying a distinct auxiliary mode given by the propagation direction. The GKP states are defined as highly correlated states described by collective continuous modes, as time and frequency. We analyze how the error detection and correction protocol scales with the total photon number and the spectral width. We show that the obtained code can be corrected for displacements in time-frequency phase space, which correspond to dephasing, or rotations, in the quadrature phase space and to photon losses. Most importantly, we show that generating two-photon GKP states is relatively simple, and that such states are currently produced and manipulated in several photonic platforms where frequency and time-bin biphoton entangled states can be engineered.

NOON-state interference in the frequency domain

The examination of entanglement across various degrees of freedom has been pivotal in augmenting our understanding of fundamental physics, extending to high dimensional quantum states, and promising the scalability of quantum technologies. In this paper, we demonstrate the photon number path entanglement in the frequency domain by implementing a frequency beam splitter that converts the single-photon frequency to another with 50% probability using Bragg scattering four-wave mixing. The two-photon NOON state in a single-mode fiber is generated in the frequency domain, manifesting the two-photon interference with two-fold enhanced resolution compared to that of single-photon interference, showing the outstanding stability of the interferometer. This successful translation of quantum states in the frequency domain will pave the way toward the discovery of fascinating quantum phenomena and scalable quantum information processing.

Two-photon quantum state tomography of photonic qubits

Two-photon quantum state tomography of photonic qubits