We discuss a new method for realizing number-resolving and non-demolition photo detectors by strong coupling of light to individual single photon emitters, which act as strong optical non-linearities. As a specific application we show how these elements can be integrated into an error-proof Bell state analyzer, whose efficiency exceeds the best possible performance with linear optics even for a modest atom-field coupling. The methods are error-proof in the sense that every detection event unambiguously projects the photon state onto a Fock or Bell state and imperfections only result in reduced success probability, not in wrong results.
We discuss a new method for realizing number-resolving and non-demolition photo detectors by strong coupling of light to individual single photon emitters, which act as strong optical non-linearities. As a specific application we show how these elements can be integrated into an error-proof Bell state analyzer, whose efficiency exceeds the best possible performance with linear optics even for a modest atom-field coupling. The methods are error-proof in the sense that every detection event unambiguously projects the photon state onto a Fock or Bell state and imperfections only result in reduced success probability, not in wrong results.
We analyze the linear optical realization of number-sum Bell measurement and number-state manipulation by taking into account the realistic experimental situation, specifically imperfectness of single-photon detector. The present scheme for number-state manipulation is based on the number-sum Bell measurement, which is implemented with linear optical elements, i.e., beam splitters, phase shifters, and zero-one-photon detectors. Squeezed vacuum states and coherent states are used as optical sources. The linear optical Bell state detector is formulated quantum theoretically with a probability operator measure. Then, the fidelity of manipulation and preparation of number states, particularly for qubits and qutrits, is evaluated in terms of the quantum efficiency and dark count of single-photon detector. It is found that a high fidelity is achievable with small enough squeezing parameters and coherent state amplitudes.
Our approach to ultra-high-efficiency photon detection develops and extends a recent novel non-solid-state scheme for photo-detection based on atomic vapors. This approach is in principle capable of resolving the number of photons in a pulse, can be extended to non-destructive detection of photons, and most importantly is proposed to operate with single-photon detection efficiencies exceeding 99%, ideally without dark counts. Such a detector would have tremendous implications, e.g., for optical quantum information processing. The feasibility of operation of this approach at the desired level is studied theoretically and several promising physical systems are investigated.
Optical quantum information processing relies critically on Bell-state measurement, a ubiquitous operation for quantum communication and computing. Its practical realization involves the interference of optical modes and the detection of a single photon in an indistinguishable manner. Yet, in the absence of efficient photon-number-resolution capabilities, errors arise from multiphoton components, decreasing the overall process fidelity. Here, we introduce a hybrid detection scheme for Bell-state measurement, leveraging both on-off single-photon detection and quadrature conditioning via homodyne detection. We derive explicit fidelities for quantum teleportation and entanglement-swapping processes employing this strategy, demonstrating its efficacy. We also compare with photon-number-resolving detectors and find a strong advantage of the hybrid scheme in a wide range of parameters. This work provides a new tool for linear-optics schemes, with applications to quantum state engineering and quantum interconnects. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Abstract We investigate the operation of a photon-number-resolving (PNR) detector consisting of a cascade of waveguide-coupled Λ-type emitters, where each waveguide-coupled emitter extracts a single photon from the input light and sends it to a single-photon detector. Using Green’s function and input-output formalisms, we derive the scattering matrices and photon–photon correlators for individual scatterers. By cascading these results, we obtain a closed-form expression for the detector’s precision in the linear regime and predict how correlations generated by nonlinear photon–photon interactions influence this precision. To evaluate the performance of this PNR detector in the nonlinear regime, we apply the quantum trajectory method to the cascaded setup, calculating the achievable precision and analyzing its dependence on key system parameters, such as the number of emitters and their coupling strength to the waveguide. We compare the performance of the proposed PNR detector with that of a conventional PNR scheme based on spatial demultiplexing via beamsplitters. Our results indicate that the proposed scheme can outperform conventional detectors under realistic conditions, making it a promising candidate for next-generation PNR detection.
When atoms are illuminated by an off-resonant field, the AC Stark effect will lead to phase shifts in atomic states. The phase shifts are proportional to the photon number of the off-resonant illuminating field. By measuring the atomic phase with newly developed atom-light hybrid interferometers, we can achieve quantum non-demolition measurement of the photon number of the optical field. In this paper, we analyze theoretically the performance of this QND measurement scheme by using the QND measurement criteria established by Holland et al [Phys. Rev. A 42, 2995 (1990)]. We find the quality of the QND measurement depends on the phase resolution of the atom-light hybrid interferometers. We apply this QND measurement scheme to a twin-photon state from parametric amplifier to verify the photon correlation in the twin beams. Furthermore, a sequential QND measurement procedure is analyzed for verifying the projection property of quantum measurement and for the quantum information tapping. Finally, we discuss the possibility for single-photon-number-resolving detection via QND measurement.
Single photons are the smallest excitation states of the elctromagnetic field. They can be experimentally created but there is no apparatus that performs this task with 100% efficiency. Many techniques and theorems of optical quantum information theory use single photons. In order to utilize them for information processing, it is reasonable to know if they had been successfully produced. In other words: One needs heralded single photons. How to achieve this, is the main result of this diploma thesis. The task has been to improve the efficiency of already existing single photon sources. An apparatus had to be found which postprocesses the output of such sources in order to either herald the photons or at least to improve the efficiency. This apparatus is explicitly allowed to use other optical sources, for example coherent states (laser). The situation has been formally represented by the assumption that single photon sources produce a mixture of vacuum and the single photon state. It is known that experimental set-ups also create higher photon contributions. These contributions are considered to be small in corresponding publications. For some cases they even seem to vanish at all. One can distinguish two regimes concerning the techniques which have been used in this work: linear and nonlinear optics. Linear optical tools, for example the beam splitter, do not absorb photons in the ideal case, but it is not easy to implement useful transformations by their means. Absorption and weak coupling are drawbacks which arise mainly in nonlinear optical media. This work shows that the interactions two-photon absorption and cross phase modulation can be used in schemes, which enable the heralding of single photons. Already there are some linear optical quantum gates which manipulate optical states by means of single photons. Photons do not interact with each other directly, in contrast to electrons for example. Therefore quantum gates which act on more than one mode are interesting. The effective interaction of these gates is not quitecomparable to unitary dynamics. Moreover, these gates do not function in each case. Measurements required in auxiliary modes yield different results for each single case and in order to obtain the desired effect the cases have to be selected according to the measurement results. It has been investigated, how such gates perform if they have statistical mixtures as a resource instead of perfect single-photon states. Yet, no improvement of the single-photon contribution has been accomplished by means of these apparatuses. Hereby it has not been disproved that it is possible to achieve this goal using other apparatuses and techniques of linear optics. Yet, it has been shown that an enhancement is possible but then a non-vanishing two-photon contribution is appended. One of the most basic quantum gates is the conditional sign flip. The optical 8 interaction cross phase modulation acts in quite the same way considering only single photons. This effect enables the heralding of single photons in the ideal case. Within this work it has been shown that a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, a cross phase modulating medium and a photo-detector can be employed for this purpose. One could use any source of light as input to the interferometer but a strong coherent state (laser) may be preferred for the purpose of enhancing the interaction. The absorption of two-photon states is another non-linear effect. Astonishingly this effect serves to generate a heralded single-photon state given two imperfect single-photon sources. First the photon adding tool is employed which consists of a beam splitter and a photo-detector. By means of that and the statistical mixtures of two single-photon sources one creates a mixture which contains vacuum, the single-photon state and additionally the two-photon Fock state. This mixture propagates through a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The interferometer is adjusted such that it is transparent for incoming light. In addition to the interferometer alone a two-photon absorbing medium is placed in one of its arms. For this reason there is a chance that the two-photon contribution entering the interferometer is absorbed within this medium. We cannot exclude this unfortunate case. A detector is placed in one of the two output modes. The interferometer is adjusted such that the single photon state does not leave in the mode in which the detector is placed, but always in the other mode. The detector can only click if the two-photon state propagates through the interferometer and if it is not destroyed in the absorbing medium. If the detector then receives one photon it is obvious that another one must leave in the other mode. The whole phenomenon is very similar to the concept of null measurement. Although not a main result, it has been shown here that the so-called Hong-Ou-Mandel effect can be generalized. It has been proven that the beam splitter transforms Fock states with equal Fock number into superpositions of Fock numbers which are even in each mode. Another effect on special odd Fock states is conjectured.