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:2302.06888 · Physical Review A

Controlling frequency-domain Hong-Ou-Mandel interference via electromagnetically induced transparency

Ziyu Liu, Jiun‐Shiuan Shiu, Chin-Yao Cheng, Yong‐Fan Chen

Published Jul 6, 2023• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is a compelling quantum phenomenon that demonstrates the nonclassical nature of single photons. In this study, we investigate an electromagnetically induced transparency-based double-$\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ four-wave mixing system from the perspective of quantized light fields. The system can be used to realize efficient HOM interference in the frequency domain. By using the reduced density operator theory, we demonstrate that although the double-$\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ medium does not exhibit phase-dependent properties for the closed-loop case of two incident single photons, frequency-domain HOM two-photon interference occurs. For experimentally achievable optical depth conditions, our theory indicates that this double-$\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ scheme can perform high-fidelity Hadamard gate operations on frequency-encoded single-photon qubits, and thereby generate HOM two-photon NOON states with a fidelity greater than 0.99. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this scheme can be used to realize arbitrary single-qubit gates and two-qubit SWAP gates by simply controlling the laser detuning and phase, exhibiting its multifunctional properties and providing a different route to scalable optical quantum computing.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.108.013702

Related papers

Frequency-domain Hong-Ou-Mandel interference in cold atoms with induced atomic coherence

Yuri P. Malakyan

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference with two independent photons of different wavelengths is a primary tool for controlled transfer of quantum information across a hybrid quantum network such as the quantum internet, in which the diverse material nodes operate at different resonant frequencies. The key challenge of realizing two-photon interference in the frequency domain is the need for linear frequency conversion between spectrally distinct photons, which, in contrast to frequency mixing in nonlinear optical processes, is free from multiphoton noise arising in strong laser fields. Here, we present a linear HOM scheme based on a lossless three-wave mixing between two photons of different frequencies in the laser-controlled tripod-type atoms, where the parametric interaction between photons is triggered by the induced coherence between two metastable states of the atoms [S. Petrosyan et al., Phys. Rev. A 105, 052606 (2022)]. We give the general derivation of the HOM effect and examine it for two single-pulse photons and in the important case of time-bin encoded single photons, which are well protected from decoherence in optical fibers. We show that two-photon coincidence measurements display the HOM-type ``dip and peak'' fringes according to the number of time bins in the incident photon state, allowing full recovery of the original quantum information. An essential feature of our scheme is the neutrality of the HOM effect implementation to the polarization indistinguishability of photons, which makes our model flexible for use in hybrid quantum networks.

Physical Review A•May 31, 2023•1 citation

Spectral Hong-Ou-Mandel Interference Between Independently Generated Single Photons for Scalable Frequency-Domain Quantum Processing

Anahita Khodadad Kashi, Michael Kues

The frequency degree-of-freedom, being compatible with well-developed omnipresent optical telecommunication infrastructure, allows for stable, controllable and scalable encoding of quantum information [1] . The HOM effect between independent photons, as a central building block to, e.g., quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum teleportation and entanglement swapping, has been mainly employed within the spatial domain [2] . A key element yet missing to enable scalable and thus real-world frequency-based implementation of quantum computation and non-classical communication, is the demonstration of Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference between independently created photons of different frequencies. To date, spectral bosonic HOM interference between single photons, produced out of the same continuous-wave (cw)-excited spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) process has been demonstrated [3] , which however does not allow scalability due to the spectral impurity inherent to the proposed approach.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 21, 2021•0 citations

Frequency-domain Hong–Ou–Mandel interference with linear optics

Poolad Imany, Ogaga D. Odele, Mohammed S. Alshaykh +3 more

The Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is one of the most fundamental quantum-mechanical effects that reveal a nonclassical behavior of single photons. Two identical photons that are incident on the input ports of an unbiased beam splitter always exit the beam splitter together from the same output port, an effect referred to as photon bunching. In this Letter, we utilize a single electro-optic phase modulator as a probabilistic frequency beam splitter, which we exploit to observe HOM interference between two photons that are in different spectral modes, yet are identical in other characteristics. Our approach enables linear optical quantum information processing protocols using the frequency degree of freedom in photons such as quantum computing techniques with linear optics.

Optics Letters•Jun 1, 2018•52 citations

Spectral Hong–Ou–Mandel Interference between Independently Generated Single Photons for Scalable Frequency‐Domain Quantum Processing

Anahita Khodadad Kashi, Michael Kues

Abstract The photon's frequency degree of freedom, being compatible with mature telecom infrastructure, offers large potential for the stable and controllable realization of photonic quantum processing applications such as the quantum internet. The Hong–Ou–Mandel effect, as a two‐photon interference phenomenon, serves as a central building block for such frameworks. A key element yet missing to enable meaningful frequency‐based implementations as well as scalability in the number of processed photons, is the demonstration of the Hong–Ou–Mandel effect between independently created photons of different frequencies. The experimental implementation of bosonic and fermionic frequency domain Hong–Ou–Mandel interference between independently generated single photons is reported here, with measured visibilities of 74.31% ± 3.56% and 86.44% ± 8.27%, respectively. This is achieved through a scalable photonic frequency circuit that creates two post‐selected pure single photons, which undergo frequency mixing at an electro‐optic phase modulator. The system is on‐the‐fly reconfigurable allowing to probe bosonic and fermionic Hong–Ou–Mandel interference in the same experimental setup. The work demonstrates the versatility of frequency domain processing and its scalability toward higher photon numbers, which enables new quantum gate concepts as well as the establishment of frequency‐based large‐scale quantum networks.

Laser & Photonics Review•Mar 18, 2021•24 citations

Frequency-Domain Quantum Interference with Correlated Photons from an Integrated Microresonator

Chaitali Joshi, Alessandro Farsi, Avik Dutt +6 more

Frequency encoding of quantum information together with fiber and integrated photonic technologies can significantly reduce the complexity and resource requirements for realizing all-photonic quantum networks. The key challenge for such frequency domain processing of single photons is to realize coherent and selective interactions between quantum optical fields of different frequencies over a range of bandwidths. Here, we report frequency-domain Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with spectrally distinct photons generated from a chip-based microresonator. We use four-wave mixing to implement an active "frequency beam splitter" and achieve interference visibilities of 0.95±0.02. Our work establishes four-wave mixing as a tool for selective high-fidelity two-photon operations in the frequency domain which, combined with integrated single-photon sources, provides a building block for frequency-multiplexed photonic quantum networks.

arXiv:2003.06533•Physical Review Letters•Apr 6, 2020•74 citations

Hong–Ou–Mandel effect with two frequency-entangled photons of vastly different color

Felix Mann, Helen M. Chrzanowski, Marlon Placke +2 more

In the original formulation of the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) experiment, when two otherwise indistinguishable photons are incident upon the two input ports of a balanced beam splitter, they coalesce, always leaving via the same output port. It is often interpreted that this interference arises due to the indistinguishability of the single photons at the beam splitter; the situation, however, is often more nuanced. Here, we demonstrate an analog of HOM interference between two photons of completely different color. To do so, we utilize a quantum frequency converter based on sum- and difference-frequency generation as an “active” beam splitter—coupling frequency-entangled red and telecom single photons with an octave-spanning energy difference of 282 THz. We achieve an uncorrected two-photon interference visibility beyond 90%. This work presents the first demonstration of HOM interference between two single photons of distinctly different color, deepening our understanding of what underlies quantum interference. It also suggests a novel approach to interfacing photonic qubits in heterogeneous quantum systems where frequency conversion and quantum interference are unified.

arXiv:2504.03304•Optica Quantum•Oct 14, 2025•1 citation
Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is a compelling quantum phenomenon that demonstrates the nonclassical nature of single photons. In this study, we investigate an electromagnetically induced transparency-based double-\ensuremathΛ\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\ensuremathΛ four-wave mixing system from the perspective of quantized light fields. The system can be used to realize efficient HOM interference in the frequency domain. By using the reduced density operator theory, we demonstrate that although the double-\ensuremathΛ\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\ensuremathΛ medium does not exhibit phase-dependent properties for the closed-loop case of two incident single photons, frequency-domain HOM two-photon interference occurs. For experimentally achievable optical depth conditions, our theory indicates that this double-\ensuremathΛ\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\ensuremathΛ scheme can perform high-fidelity Hadamard gate operations on frequency-encoded single-photon qubits, and thereby generate HOM two-photon NOON states with a fidelity greater than 0.99. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this scheme can be used to realize arbitrary single-qubit gates and two-qubit SWAP gates by simply controlling the laser detuning and phase, exhibiting its multifunctional properties and providing a different route to scalable optical quantum computing.
Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference with two independent photons of different wavelengths is a primary tool for controlled transfer of quantum information across a hybrid quantum network such as the quantum internet, in which the diverse material nodes operate at different resonant frequencies. The key challenge of realizing two-photon interference in the frequency domain is the need for linear frequency conversion between spectrally distinct photons, which, in contrast to frequency mixing in nonlinear optical processes, is free from multiphoton noise arising in strong laser fields. Here, we present a linear HOM scheme based on a lossless three-wave mixing between two photons of different frequencies in the laser-controlled tripod-type atoms, where the parametric interaction between photons is triggered by the induced coherence between two metastable states of the atoms [S. Petrosyan et al., Phys. Rev. A 105, 052606 (2022)]. We give the general derivation of the HOM effect and examine it for two single-pulse photons and in the important case of time-bin encoded single photons, which are well protected from decoherence in optical fibers. We show that two-photon coincidence measurements display the HOM-type ``dip and peak'' fringes according to the number of time bins in the incident photon state, allowing full recovery of the original quantum information. An essential feature of our scheme is the neutrality of the HOM effect implementation to the polarization indistinguishability of photons, which makes our model flexible for use in hybrid quantum networks.
The frequency degree-of-freedom, being compatible with well-developed omnipresent optical telecommunication infrastructure, allows for stable, controllable and scalable encoding of quantum information [1] . The HOM effect between independent photons, as a central building block to, e.g., quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum teleportation and entanglement swapping, has been mainly employed within the spatial domain [2] . A key element yet missing to enable scalable and thus real-world frequency-based implementation of quantum computation and non-classical communication, is the demonstration of Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference between independently created photons of different frequencies. To date, spectral bosonic HOM interference between single photons, produced out of the same continuous-wave (cw)-excited spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) process has been demonstrated [3] , which however does not allow scalability due to the spectral impurity inherent to the proposed approach.
The Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is one of the most fundamental quantum-mechanical effects that reveal a nonclassical behavior of single photons. Two identical photons that are incident on the input ports of an unbiased beam splitter always exit the beam splitter together from the same output port, an effect referred to as photon bunching. In this Letter, we utilize a single electro-optic phase modulator as a probabilistic frequency beam splitter, which we exploit to observe HOM interference between two photons that are in different spectral modes, yet are identical in other characteristics. Our approach enables linear optical quantum information processing protocols using the frequency degree of freedom in photons such as quantum computing techniques with linear optics.
Abstract The photon's frequency degree of freedom, being compatible with mature telecom infrastructure, offers large potential for the stable and controllable realization of photonic quantum processing applications such as the quantum internet. The Hong–Ou–Mandel effect, as a two‐photon interference phenomenon, serves as a central building block for such frameworks. A key element yet missing to enable meaningful frequency‐based implementations as well as scalability in the number of processed photons, is the demonstration of the Hong–Ou–Mandel effect between independently created photons of different frequencies. The experimental implementation of bosonic and fermionic frequency domain Hong–Ou–Mandel interference between independently generated single photons is reported here, with measured visibilities of 74.31% ± 3.56% and 86.44% ± 8.27%, respectively. This is achieved through a scalable photonic frequency circuit that creates two post‐selected pure single photons, which undergo frequency mixing at an electro‐optic phase modulator. The system is on‐the‐fly reconfigurable allowing to probe bosonic and fermionic Hong–Ou–Mandel interference in the same experimental setup. The work demonstrates the versatility of frequency domain processing and its scalability toward higher photon numbers, which enables new quantum gate concepts as well as the establishment of frequency‐based large‐scale quantum networks.
Frequency encoding of quantum information together with fiber and integrated photonic technologies can significantly reduce the complexity and resource requirements for realizing all-photonic quantum networks. The key challenge for such frequency domain processing of single photons is to realize coherent and selective interactions between quantum optical fields of different frequencies over a range of bandwidths. Here, we report frequency-domain Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with spectrally distinct photons generated from a chip-based microresonator. We use four-wave mixing to implement an active "frequency beam splitter" and achieve interference visibilities of 0.95±0.02. Our work establishes four-wave mixing as a tool for selective high-fidelity two-photon operations in the frequency domain which, combined with integrated single-photon sources, provides a building block for frequency-multiplexed photonic quantum networks.
In the original formulation of the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) experiment, when two otherwise indistinguishable photons are incident upon the two input ports of a balanced beam splitter, they coalesce, always leaving via the same output port. It is often interpreted that this interference arises due to the indistinguishability of the single photons at the beam splitter; the situation, however, is often more nuanced. Here, we demonstrate an analog of HOM interference between two photons of completely different color. To do so, we utilize a quantum frequency converter based on sum- and difference-frequency generation as an “active” beam splitter—coupling frequency-entangled red and telecom single photons with an octave-spanning energy difference of 282 THz. We achieve an uncorrected two-photon interference visibility beyond 90%. This work presents the first demonstration of HOM interference between two single photons of distinctly different color, deepening our understanding of what underlies quantum interference. It also suggests a novel approach to interfacing photonic qubits in heterogeneous quantum systems where frequency conversion and quantum interference are unified.