Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0804.1786 · Physical Review A

Entanglement-seeded, dual, optical parametric amplification: Applications to quantum imaging and metrology

Ryan T. Glasser, Hugo V. Cable, Jonathan P. Dowling, F. De Martini, Fabio Sciarrino, Chiara Vitelli

Published Jul 21, 2008• 37 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The study of optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) has been successful in describing and creating nonclassical light for use in fields such as quantum metrology and quantum lithography [Agarwal et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24, 2 (2007)]. In this paper we present the theory of an OPA scheme utilizing an entangled state input. The scheme involves two identical OPAs seeded with the maximally path-entangled $\ensuremath{\mid}N00N⟩$ state $(\ensuremath{\mid}2,0⟩+\ensuremath{\mid}0,2⟩)∕\sqrt{2}$. The stimulated amplification results in output state probability amplitudes that have a dependence on the number of photons in each mode, which differs greatly from two-mode squeezed vacuum. A large family of entangled output states are found. Specific output states allow for the heralded creation of $N=4$ $N00N$ states, which may be used for quantum lithography, to write sub-Rayleigh fringe patterns, and for quantum interferometry, to achieve Heisenberg-limited phase measurement sensitivity.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.78.012339

Related papers

Entanglement-Seeded-Dual Optical Parametric Amplification: Applications to Quantum Communication, Imaging, and Metrology

Ryan T. Glasser, Hugo V. Cable, Jonathan P. Dowling +3 more

We theoretically investigate an optical scheme consisting of two optical parametric amplifiers seeded with a maximally path entangled input state. The resulting output contains a variety of entangled states that have applications to quantum cryptography, lithography, and metrology. We also find that the maximum likely output state may be shifted away from the vacuum for various optical parametric amplifier gain values.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2008•1 citation

Quantum nonlinear optics: applications to quantum metrology, imaging, and information

Ryan T. Glasser

The fields of quantum and nonlinear optics have given rise to a variety of nonclassical states of light that have been proven to surpass certain limitations set by classical physics. Namely, certain squeezed and entangled states have been shown to beat the shot-noise limit when making precision phase measurements in interferometry, as well as write lithographic patterns that are smaller than classically allowed by the Rayleigh diffraction limit. Additionally, single-photon sources and entangled photon pairs have given rise to provably secure quantum key distribution for cryptography. Producing these quantum states of light has proven a difficult task. Nonlinear crystals, when pumped by a laser, produce pairs of single photons via the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC). This process is mediated by the second order nonlinear susceptibility of the material. When pumped in a high gain regime, these crystals give rise to optical parametric amplification, which is a viable source of squeezed light. The vast majority of research in this area has focused on crystals that are seeded by vacuum in their two modes. This dissertation concerns the field of quantum nonlinear optics. It is an investigation into the processes that occur when nonlinear materials interact with the electromagnetic field on the single photon level. I have focused on seeding nonlinear crystals with quantum states of light, including single photons and entangled states. This process results in various states directly applicable to interferometry, imaging, and cryptography. Another application investigated is an absolute radiance measurement via stimulated parametric down conversion resulting from non-vacuum seeding of a nonlinear crystal. Additionally, other nonlinear processes, including four-wave mixing, nonlinear magneto-optical effects and coherent population trapping in warm atomic vapor involving quantum states of light are investigated. The process of seeding third-order nonlinear interactions, such as in atomic vapors, gives rise to a variety of interesting, nonclassical phenomena such as entangled image transfer and nonlocal imaging. Strong analogies between SPDC and four-wave mixing are drawn. I also experimentally show an all optical pi-only phase shift of one light beam via another in warm Cesium vapor.

Civil War Book Review•Mar 27, 2009•0 citations

Experimental sub-Rayleigh resolution by an unseeded high-gain optical parametric amplifier for quantum lithography

Fabio Sciarrino, Chiara Vitelli, F. De Martini +3 more

Quantum lithography proposes to adopt entangled quantum states in order to increase resolution in interferometry. In the present paper we experimentally demonstrate that the output of a high-gain optical parametric amplifier can be intense yet exhibits quantum features, namely, sub-Rayleigh fringes, as proposed by [Agarwal et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 1389 (2001)]. We investigate multiphoton states generated by a high-gain optical parametric amplifier operating with a quantum vacuum input for gain values up to 2.5. The visibility has then been increased by means of three-photon absorption. The present paper opens interesting perspectives for the implementation of such an advanced interferometrical setup.

arXiv:0801.3531•Physical Review A•Jan 22, 2008•48 citations

Nonclassical two-photon interferometry and lithography with high-gain parametric amplifiers

Elna M. Nagasako, Sean J. Bentley, Robert W. Boyd +1 more

Optical parametric amplification is a process that leads to the generation of quantum states of light. In the limit of low single-pass gain, this process is often referred to as parametric down conversion, and produces entangled two-photon states. Such states have played a key role in recent studies of quantum optical effects such as quantum teleportation. As the gain of the parametric amplification process is increased, the generated light field still possesses strong quantum correlations, but not of the sort associated with two-photon states. Here we present an analysis of the output state of a parametric amplifier as a function of the single-pass gain, and we find certain signatures of quantum light (such as the vanishing of the coincidence rate in a Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer) disappear in the high-gain limit, whereas others (such as the existence of two-photon interference fringes) remain. Consequently, the intense light field generated by a high-gain parametric amplifier can be utilized in such applications of quantum optics.

Physical Review A•Sep 11, 2001•52 citations

Quantum states of light produced by a high-gain optical parametric amplifier for use in quantum lithography

G. S. Agarwal, Kam Wai Clifford Chan, Robert W. Boyd +2 more

We present a theoretical analysis of the properties of an unseeded optical parametic amplifier (OPA) used as the source of entangled photons for applications in quantum lithography. We first study the dependence of the excitation rate of a two-photon absorber on the intensity of the light leaving the OPA. We find that the rate depends linearly on intensity only for output beams so weak that they contain fewer than one photon per mode. We also study the use of an N-photon absorber for arbitrary N as the recording medium to be used with such a light source. We find that the contrast of the interference pattern and the sharpness of the fringe maxima tend to increase with increasing values of N, but that the density of fringes and thus the limiting resolution does not increase with N. We conclude that the output of an unseeded OPA exciting an N-photon absorber provides an attractive system in which to perform quantum lithography.

arXiv:quant-ph/0608170•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jan 26, 2007•22 citations

Heisenberg-limited interferometry and photolithography with nonlinear four-wave mixing

Christopher C. Gerry, Adil Benmoussa

Maximally entangled photonic states of a two-mode field have applications in Heisenberg-limit interferometry and in photolithography where they may be used to transfer images with resolutions exceeding the Rayleigh diffraction limit. In a recent paper by one of us [C. C. Gerry, Phys. Rev. A 61, 043811 (2000)] it was shown that a nonlinear four-wave mixer could produce the requisite states for input states containing only even photon numbers. For superpositions of even number states the output is just a superposition of maximally entangled even states. In the present paper we extend the earlier work to consider both even coherent states and squeezed vacuum states as inputs and study their applications to interferometry and lithography.

Physical Review A•Feb 26, 2002•36 citations
The study of optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) has been successful in describing and creating nonclassical light for use in fields such as quantum metrology and quantum lithography [Agarwal et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24, 2 (2007)]. In this paper we present the theory of an OPA scheme utilizing an entangled state input. The scheme involves two identical OPAs seeded with the maximally path-entangled \ensuremath∣N00N⟩\ensuremath{\mid}N00N⟩\ensuremath∣N00N⟩ state (\ensuremath∣2,0⟩+\ensuremath∣0,2⟩)∕2(\ensuremath{\mid}2,0⟩+\ensuremath{\mid}0,2⟩)∕\sqrt{2}(\ensuremath∣2,0⟩+\ensuremath∣0,2⟩)∕2​. The stimulated amplification results in output state probability amplitudes that have a dependence on the number of photons in each mode, which differs greatly from two-mode squeezed vacuum. A large family of entangled output states are found. Specific output states allow for the heralded creation of N=4N=4N=4 N00NN00NN00N states, which may be used for quantum lithography, to write sub-Rayleigh fringe patterns, and for quantum interferometry, to achieve Heisenberg-limited phase measurement sensitivity.
The fields of quantum and nonlinear optics have given rise to a variety of nonclassical states of light that have been proven to surpass certain limitations set by classical physics. Namely, certain squeezed and entangled states have been shown to beat the shot-noise limit when making precision phase measurements in interferometry, as well as write lithographic patterns that are smaller than classically allowed by the Rayleigh diffraction limit. Additionally, single-photon sources and entangled photon pairs have given rise to provably secure quantum key distribution for cryptography. Producing these quantum states of light has proven a difficult task. Nonlinear crystals, when pumped by a laser, produce pairs of single photons via the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC). This process is mediated by the second order nonlinear susceptibility of the material. When pumped in a high gain regime, these crystals give rise to optical parametric amplification, which is a viable source of squeezed light. The vast majority of research in this area has focused on crystals that are seeded by vacuum in their two modes. This dissertation concerns the field of quantum nonlinear optics. It is an investigation into the processes that occur when nonlinear materials interact with the electromagnetic field on the single photon level. I have focused on seeding nonlinear crystals with quantum states of light, including single photons and entangled states. This process results in various states directly applicable to interferometry, imaging, and cryptography. Another application investigated is an absolute radiance measurement via stimulated parametric down conversion resulting from non-vacuum seeding of a nonlinear crystal. Additionally, other nonlinear processes, including four-wave mixing, nonlinear magneto-optical effects and coherent population trapping in warm atomic vapor involving quantum states of light are investigated. The process of seeding third-order nonlinear interactions, such as in atomic vapors, gives rise to a variety of interesting, nonclassical phenomena such as entangled image transfer and nonlocal imaging. Strong analogies between SPDC and four-wave mixing are drawn. I also experimentally show an all optical pi-only phase shift of one light beam via another in warm Cesium vapor.
Quantum lithography proposes to adopt entangled quantum states in order to increase resolution in interferometry. In the present paper we experimentally demonstrate that the output of a high-gain optical parametric amplifier can be intense yet exhibits quantum features, namely, sub-Rayleigh fringes, as proposed by [Agarwal et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 1389 (2001)]. We investigate multiphoton states generated by a high-gain optical parametric amplifier operating with a quantum vacuum input for gain values up to 2.5. The visibility has then been increased by means of three-photon absorption. The present paper opens interesting perspectives for the implementation of such an advanced interferometrical setup.
Optical parametric amplification is a process that leads to the generation of quantum states of light. In the limit of low single-pass gain, this process is often referred to as parametric down conversion, and produces entangled two-photon states. Such states have played a key role in recent studies of quantum optical effects such as quantum teleportation. As the gain of the parametric amplification process is increased, the generated light field still possesses strong quantum correlations, but not of the sort associated with two-photon states. Here we present an analysis of the output state of a parametric amplifier as a function of the single-pass gain, and we find certain signatures of quantum light (such as the vanishing of the coincidence rate in a Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer) disappear in the high-gain limit, whereas others (such as the existence of two-photon interference fringes) remain. Consequently, the intense light field generated by a high-gain parametric amplifier can be utilized in such applications of quantum optics.
We present a theoretical analysis of the properties of an unseeded optical parametic amplifier (OPA) used as the source of entangled photons for applications in quantum lithography. We first study the dependence of the excitation rate of a two-photon absorber on the intensity of the light leaving the OPA. We find that the rate depends linearly on intensity only for output beams so weak that they contain fewer than one photon per mode. We also study the use of an N-photon absorber for arbitrary N as the recording medium to be used with such a light source. We find that the contrast of the interference pattern and the sharpness of the fringe maxima tend to increase with increasing values of N, but that the density of fringes and thus the limiting resolution does not increase with N. We conclude that the output of an unseeded OPA exciting an N-photon absorber provides an attractive system in which to perform quantum lithography.
Maximally entangled photonic states of a two-mode field have applications in Heisenberg-limit interferometry and in photolithography where they may be used to transfer images with resolutions exceeding the Rayleigh diffraction limit. In a recent paper by one of us [C. C. Gerry, Phys. Rev. A 61, 043811 (2000)] it was shown that a nonlinear four-wave mixer could produce the requisite states for input states containing only even photon numbers. For superpositions of even number states the output is just a superposition of maximally entangled even states. In the present paper we extend the earlier work to consider both even coherent states and squeezed vacuum states as inputs and study their applications to interferometry and lithography.