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arXiv:0805.4392 · Applied Optics

Holographic generation of complex fields with spatial light modulators: application to quantum key distribution

Mark T. Gruneisen, Warner A. Miller, Raymond C. Dymale, Ayman Sweiti

Published Oct 10, 2007• 79 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

There has been considerable interest recently in the generation of azimuthal phase functions associated with photon orbital angular momentum (OAM) for high-dimensional quantum key distribution. The generation of secure quantum keys requires not only this pure phase basis but also additional bases comprised of orthonormal superposition states formed from the pure states. These bases are also known as mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) and include quantum states whose wave functions are modulated in both phase and amplitude. Although modulo 2pi optical path control with high-resolution spatial light modulators (SLMs) is well suited to creating the azimuthal phases associated with the pure states, it does not introduce the amplitude modulation associated with the MUB superposition states. Using computer-generated holography (CGH) with the Leith-Upatnieks approach to hologram recording, however, both phase and amplitude modulation can be achieved. We present a description of the OAM states of a three-dimensional MUB system and analyze the construction of these states via CGH with a phase-modulating SLM. The effects of phase holography artifacts on quantum-state generation are quantified and a prescription for avoiding these artifacts by preconditioning the hologram function is presented. Practical effects associated with spatially isolating the first-order diffracted field are also quantified, and a demonstration utilizing a liquid-crystal SLM is presented.

DOI
10.1364/ao.47.000a32

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•Jan 1, 2014•7 citations
There has been considerable interest recently in the generation of azimuthal phase functions associated with photon orbital angular momentum (OAM) for high-dimensional quantum key distribution. The generation of secure quantum keys requires not only this pure phase basis but also additional bases comprised of orthonormal superposition states formed from the pure states. These bases are also known as mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) and include quantum states whose wave functions are modulated in both phase and amplitude. Although modulo 2pi optical path control with high-resolution spatial light modulators (SLMs) is well suited to creating the azimuthal phases associated with the pure states, it does not introduce the amplitude modulation associated with the MUB superposition states. Using computer-generated holography (CGH) with the Leith-Upatnieks approach to hologram recording, however, both phase and amplitude modulation can be achieved. We present a description of the OAM states of a three-dimensional MUB system and analyze the construction of these states via CGH with a phase-modulating SLM. The effects of phase holography artifacts on quantum-state generation are quantified and a prescription for avoiding these artifacts by preconditioning the hologram function is presented. Practical effects associated with spatially isolating the first-order diffracted field are also quantified, and a demonstration utilizing a liquid-crystal SLM is presented.
The scalar attributes of the optical field are considered as an approach to enhancing bit rates in quantum key distribution over free-space optical links. The implications of spatial-mode encoding to system aperture requirements are considered for rectilinear and azimuthal bases of phase modulation. Diffractive-optics-based approaches to generating and discriminating photons based on spatial mode characteristics are quantified through analysis and experimentation. Spatial modes based on phase modulation are generated via modulo-2π phase modulation with a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator (LC SLM). The phase and amplitude modulation associated with superpositions of phase modulated fields are achieved via computer-generated holography with single LC SLM. Transmission volume holograms are evaluated as a technique for de-multiplexing phase modulated modes and cascaded volume holograms are considered as an approach to performing projective measurements on optical fields.
Transmission volume holograms are evaluated as quantum projectors operating on spatial modes of the photon in mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). With applications to free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) in mind, state spaces based on rectilinear and azimuthal phase modes (i.e. photon linear and orbital angular momenta) are considered. Rectilinear phase modulation is shown to result in both greater mode densities for a receiving aperture in the far field and better efficiency and cross-talk characteristics when volume holograms are used as de-multiplexing elements. Twoand four-dimensional state spaces are defined via rectilinear phase modes and the complex optical fields of the MUBs are calculated and generated with a spatial light modulator in order to record and subsequently illuminate transmission volume holograms. Using holograms prepared in lithium niobate, diffraction efficiencies are measured for the 36 permutations associated with projecting the six MUB states of a two-dimensional state space onto the same six MUB states. Quantum measurements associated with cascaded projection operations in a four-dimensional state space are performed using photo-thermo-refractive glass holograms. Experimental results show approximate agreement with the inner-product relationships that describe quantum projection probabilities.
We encode mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) using the higher-dimensional orbital angular momentum (OAM) degree of freedom and illustrate how these states are encoded on a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM). We perform ( d - 1)- mutual unbiased measurements in both a classical prepare and measure scheme and on entangled photon pairs for dimensions ranging from d = 2 to 5. The calculated average error rate, mutual information and secret key rate show an increase in information capacity as well as higher generation rates as the dimension increases.
A transmission volume hologram is evaluated as a quantum projector operating on linear momentum states of individual photons in a four-dimensional state space. A state space is defined by four momentum vectors that are either efficiently diffracted or transmitted by the hologram. The influence of the volume hologram on the complex amplitudes of the basis states is modeled using coupled-wave theory. Measurement probabilities obtained with a second hologram introduced as a state-space analyzer are compared to measurement probabilities associated with a projection operator in quantum mechanics. A compact sequential hologram configuration for projecting superposition states onto all of the basis states is demonstrated for individual photons prepared in all 20 states of the five mutually unbiased bases of the four-dimensional state space. The complex amplitudes associated with superpositions of the basis states are imparted to individual photons via computer-generated holography and a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. The coupled-wave theory analysis indicates that relative phase relationships in transmitted superposition states can be preserved to within 1/28th of an optical cycle and measured detection probabilities compare favorably to those associated with a quantum projector in a basis of discrete orthonormal states. Small departures of the measured statistics from theoretical expectations are quantified and attributed to imperfections in the hologram and experimental setup.
We experimentally demonstrate a quantum key distribution protocol using entangled photon pairs in orbital angular momentum (OAM). Here Alice uses a fixed phase hologram to modulate her OAM state on one photon with a spatial light modulator (SLM), while Bob uses the designed N different phase holograms for his N-based keys on the other photon with his SLM. With coincidences, Alice can fully retrieve the keys sent by Bob without reconciliation. We report the experiment results with N = 3 and OAM eigenmodes |ℓ = ±1〉, and discuss the security from the light path and typical attacks.
We present a method for preparing arbitrary pure states of spatial qudits, namely, D-dimensional (Dgeqslant2D\\geqslant 2Dgeqslant2) quantum systems carrying information in the transverse momentum and position of single photons. For this purpose, a set of D slits with complex transmission are displayed on a spatial light modulator (SLM). In a recent work we have shown a method that requires a single phase-only SLM to control independently the complex coefficients which define the quantum state of dimension D. The amplitude information was codified by introducing phase gratings inside each slit, and the phase value of the complex transmission was added to the phase gratings. After a spatial filtering process, we obtained in the image plane the desired qudit state. Although this method has proven to be a good alternative to compact the previously reported architectures, it presents some features that could be improved. In this paper we present an alternative scheme to codify the required phase values that minimizes the effects of temporal phase fluctuations associated to the SLM where the codification is carried out. In this scheme, the amplitudes are set by appropriate phase gratings addressed at the SLM, while the relative phases are obtained by a lateral displacement of these phase gratings. We show that this method improves the quality of the prepared state and provides very high fidelities of preparation for any state. An additional advantage of this scheme is that a complete $2\\pi $ modulation is obtained by shifting the grating by one period; hence the encoding is not limited by the phase modulation range achieved by the SLM. Numerical simulations, that take into account the phase fluctuations, show high fidelities for thousands of qubit states covering the whole Bloch sphere surface. Similar analyses are performed for qudits with D = 3 and D = 7.