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arXiv:1912.01614 · Physical Review Research

Quantum theory of polarimetry: From quantum operations to Mueller matrices

Aaron Z. Goldberg

Published Apr 14, 2020• 24 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This article provides a description of the quantum mechanical processes underlying polarimetry; for example, classical depolarization is represented by a quantum circuit diagram corresponding to SU(3) operations in an enlarged Hilbert space. The quantum theory of polarimetry can be used to place constraints on classical polarization transformations, find quantum-enhanced polarization measurements, and investigate the quantum structure underlying classical polarization.

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.2.023038

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This article provides a description of the quantum mechanical processes underlying polarimetry; for example, classical depolarization is represented by a quantum circuit diagram corresponding to SU(3) operations in an enlarged Hilbert space. The quantum theory of polarimetry can be used to place constraints on classical polarization transformations, find quantum-enhanced polarization measurements, and investigate the quantum structure underlying classical polarization.
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We present a method to determine the Mueller matrix of a sample using polarization-entangled photon pairs. One of the photons of a pair goes through a sample and is then subject to a polarization projection measurement. The other photon, which does not go through the sample, is also subject to a polarization projection. The measured quantum correlations are equivalent to polarimetry measurements, where the initial state of the photon going through the sample is determined by the polarization projection on the entangled partner that does not go through the sample. The correspondence with the classical system is acausal because quantum measurements apply to distinct Hilbert spaces. We tested this method with standard optical elements finding excellent agreement with the expectations. Thus it can be used as an alternative to classical Mueller polarimetry for conditions that would be challenging to do otherwise.
We present a theoretical analysis of the connection between classical polarization optics and quantum mechanics of two-level systems. First, we review the matrix formalism of classical polarization optics from a quantum information perspective. In this manner the passage from the Stokes-Jones-Mueller description of classical optical processes to the representation of one- and two-qubit quantum operations, becomes straightforward. Second, as a practical application of our classical-vs-quantum formalism, we show how two-qubit maximally entangled mixed states can be generated by using polarization and spatial modes of photons generated via spontaneous parametric down conversion.
Conventional polarimetry, including schemes leveraging entangled light, characterizes optical samples through linear transformations of polarization states. We introduce a two-photon probing approach in which both photons of an entangled pair interact with the same depolarizing medium simultaneously. In this regime, the transformation of the two-photon polarization correlations becomes quadratic in the Mueller matrix, enabling access to second-order polarization information beyond conventional polarimetry. We develop a theoretical framework linking the Mueller matrix to the evolution of the two-photon polarization correlation tensor and show that depolarization induces quadratic degradation of entanglement and state purity. Experiments using polarization-entangled photon pairs transmitted through controlled scattering media confirm the predicted response and reveal enhanced sensitivity to polarization scrambling compared with single-photon probing. These results establish two-photon probing as a higher-order quantum polarimetric modality for characterizing polarization channels.
Abstract Quantum permutations arise in many aspects of modern “quantum mathematics”. However, the aim of this article is to detach these objects from their context and to give a friendly introduction purely within operator theory. We define quantum permutation matrices as matrices whose entries are operators on Hilbert spaces; they obey certain assumptions generalizing classical permutation matrices. We give a number of examples and we list many open problems. We then put them back in their original context and give an overview of their use in several branches of mathematics, such as quantum groups, quantum information theory, graph theory and free probability theory.