We investigate quantum entanglement of three photons performing discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) on the nearest-neighbor sites of a square lattice. Such a DTQW setup has already been proposed to be realizable using linear optical elements. Each lattice site corresponds to the sequential action of a half-wave plate and a polarizing beam splitter. Two-dimensional DTQW can be mapped to an effective one-dimensional DTQW with a four-sided coin that depends on the polarization and direction of motion of the photons. It is known that such a system is capable to spatially entangle two photons, prepared in a separable state initially. We generalize the result to the case of three photons to explore if distinct entanglement classes, namely W and GHZ states, can be produced by this setup. In addition to spatial entanglement, we analyze the possibility of entanglement in the polarization basis, too. Our results can be significant for a simple and fast generation of multipartite entangled photonic states demanded by practical quantum technology applications.
We investigate quantum entanglement of three photons performing discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) on the nearest-neighbor sites of a square lattice. Such a DTQW setup has already been proposed to be realizable using linear optical elements. Each lattice site corresponds to the sequential action of a half-wave plate and a polarizing beam splitter. Two-dimensional DTQW can be mapped to an effective one-dimensional DTQW with a four-sided coin that depends on the polarization and direction of motion of the photons. It is known that such a system is capable to spatially entangle two photons, prepared in a separable state initially. We generalize the result to the case of three photons to explore if distinct entanglement classes, namely W and GHZ states, can be produced by this setup. In addition to spatial entanglement, we analyze the possibility of entanglement in the polarization basis, too. Our results can be significant for a simple and fast generation of multipartite entangled photonic states demanded by practical quantum technology applications.
A single photon can be made to entangle simultaneously in its different internal degrees of freedom (DoF)---polarization, orbital angular momentum (OAM), and frequency---as well as in its external DoF---path. Such entanglement in multiple DoF is known as hyperentanglement and provides additional advantage for quantum information processing. We propose a passive optical setup using q plates and polarization beam splitters to hyperentangle an incoming single photon in polarization, OAM, and path DoF. By mapping polarization DoF to a two-dimensional coin state, and path and OAM DoF to two spatial dimensions, x and y, we present a scheme for realization of a two-dimensional discrete-time quantum walk using only polarization beam splitters and q plates ensuing the generation of hyperentangled states. The amount of hyperentanglement generated is quantified by measuring the entanglement negativity between any two DoF. We further show that hyperentanglement generation can be controlled by using an additional coin operation or by replacing the q plate with a J plate.
In this paper, we investigate the enhancement of delocalization and coin-position entanglement in asymmetric discrete-time quantum walks (DTQWs). The asymmetry results from asymmetric coin operations, asymmetric initial states, and asymmetric polarization-dependent losses. By varying these asymmetry factors, the inverse participation ratio and entanglement entropy of the walker are numerically calculated for different coin and loss parameters, both for symmetric and asymmetric initial states. We then experimentally implement a 16-step asymmetric DTQW using a time-multiplexing fiber loop structure. By choosing an asymmetric initial state, both coin-position entanglement and delocalization are simultaneously enhanced under specific coin parameters. Moreover, we observe that with finite asymmetric polarization-dependent loss, the photon probability on the left side decreases significantly, while that on the right side increases and becomes more localized. Interestingly, under specific coin parameters, the entanglement and delocalization exhibit improved robustness against polarization-dependent loss. These results demonstrate that the DTQWs constitute an ideal platform for investigating photonic delocalization and hybrid entanglement.
In this paper, we investigate the enhancement of delocalization and coin-position entanglement in asymmetric discrete-time quantum walks (DTQWs). The asymmetry results from asymmetric coin operations, asymmetric initial states, and asymmetric polarization-dependent losses. By varying these asymmetry factors, the inverse participation ratio and entanglement entropy of the walker are numerically calculated for different coin and loss parameters, both for symmetric and asymmetric initial states. We then experimentally implement a 16-step asymmetric DTQW using a time-multiplexing fiber loop structure. By choosing an asymmetric initial state, both coin-position entanglement and delocalization are simultaneously enhanced under specific coin parameters. Moreover, we observe that with finite asymmetric polarization-dependent loss, the photon probability on the left side decreases significantly, while that on the right side increases and becomes more localized. Interestingly, under specific coin parameters, the entanglement and delocalization exhibit improved robustness against polarization-dependent loss. These results demonstrate that the DTQWs constitute an ideal platform for investigating photonic delocalization and hybrid entanglement.
Abstract The preparation of initial superposition states of discrete-time quantum walks (DTQWs) is necessary for the study and applications of DTQWs. Based on an encoding method, here, we propose a DTQW protocol in linear optics, which enables the preparation of arbitrary initial superposition states of the walker and the coin and enables to obtain the states of the DTQW in addition to the probability distribution of the walker. With this protocol, we experimentally demonstrate the DTQW in the polarization space with both the walker and the coin initially in superposition states, by using only passive linear-optical elements. The effects of the walker’s different initial superposition states on the spread speed of the DTQW and on the entanglement between the coin and the walker are also experimentally investigated, which have not been reported before. When the walker starts with superposition states, we show that the properties of DTQWs are very different from those of DTQWs starting with a single position. Our findings reveal different properties of DTQWs and pave an avenue to study DTQWs with arbitrary initial states. Moreover, this encoding method enables one to encode an arbitrary high-dimensional quantum state, using a single physical qubit, and may be adopted to implement other quantum information tasks.
Discrete-time quantum walks are powerful platforms for simulating quantum transport and information processing. Here we introduce a walker on a one-dimensional lattice whose motion is controlled by three entangled coins, each initialized with the Hadamard gate, aiming to maximize information flow. The walker moves only when all three coins yield the same outcome (HHH or TTT), thus coupling the 8-dimensional coin Hilbert space to the position degree of freedom. By analyzing fully separable, fully entangled (GHZ-type) and intermediate initial states, and using the von Neumann entropy of reduced subsystems, we compute the mutual information I(C;P;t) between coin and position. The results show that initial three-partite entanglement accelerates the growth of mutual information by up to 18\% after ten steps (when compared to the lower of the two separable states), although it exhibits short-term non-monotonic dynamics due to quantum interference. For the first time, we introduce a tunable parameter α (amplitude of non-displacement states) and show that the GHZ state reaches a maximum of mutual information at α≈0.71 - a key finding for optimal control of information flow. Finally, an integrated photonic implementation using polarization, spatial modes and time bins is proposed, where α can be tuned with nonlinear or electro-optic elements. A scalable numerical framework (Python code) for simulations up to t=5 steps is provided. Our findings establish three-partite entanglement as a dynamical resource for maximizing information flow and spatial spreading, with direct applications in quantum state transfer, entanglement-assisted sensing and programmable photonic quantum processors.
We present a review of photonic implementations of discrete-time quantum walks (DTQW) in the spatial and temporal domains, based on spatial- and time-multiplexing techniques, respectively. Additionally, we propose a detailed novel scheme for photonic DTQW, using transverse spatial modes of single photons and programmable spatial light modulators (SLM) to manipulate them. Unlike all previous mode-multiplexed implementations, this scheme enables simulation of an arbitrary step of the walker, only limited, in principle, by the SLM resolution. We discuss current applications of such photonic DTQW architectures in quantum simulation of topological effects and the use of non-local coin operations based on two-photon hybrid entanglement.