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arXiv:2407.09280 · Physical Review A

High-dimensional maximally entangled photon pairs in parametric down-conversion

Richard Bernecker, Baghdasar Baghdasaryan, S. Fritzsche

Published Sep 26, 2024• 6 citations
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Abstract

Photon pairs generated from spontaneous parametric down-conversion are a well-established method to realize entangled bipartite photonic systems. Laguerre-Gaussian modes, which carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), are commonly exploited to engineer high-dimensional entangled quantum states. For Hilbert spaces with dimension $d>2$, maximally entangled states (MESs) help to improve the capacity and security of quantum communication protocols, among several other promising features. However, the direct generation of MESs in well-defined high-dimensional subspaces of the infinite OAM basis has remained a challenge. Here, we formalize how the spatial distribution of the pump beam and the nonlinear profile of the crystal can be simultaneously utilized to generate MESs without additional spatial filtering of OAM modes within a subspace. We illustrate our approach with maximally entangled qutrits $(d=3)$ and ququints $(d=5)$.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.110.033718

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Photon pairs generated from spontaneous parametric down-conversion are a well-established method to realize entangled bipartite photonic systems. Laguerre-Gaussian modes, which carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), are commonly exploited to engineer high-dimensional entangled quantum states. For Hilbert spaces with dimension d>2d>2d>2, maximally entangled states (MESs) help to improve the capacity and security of quantum communication protocols, among several other promising features. However, the direct generation of MESs in well-defined high-dimensional subspaces of the infinite OAM basis has remained a challenge. Here, we formalize how the spatial distribution of the pump beam and the nonlinear profile of the crystal can be simultaneously utilized to generate MESs without additional spatial filtering of OAM modes within a subspace. We illustrate our approach with maximally entangled qutrits (d=3)(d=3)(d=3) and ququints (d=5)(d=5)(d=5).
Maximally entangled photon pairs with a spatial degree of freedom is a potential way for realizing high-capacity quantum computing and communication. However, methods to generate such entangled states with high quality, high brightness, and good controllability are needed. Here, a scheme is experimentally demonstrated that generates spatially maximally entangled photon pairs with an orbital angular momentum degree of freedom via spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a nonlinear crystal. Compared with existing methods using postselection, the technique can directly modulate the spatial spectrum of down-converted photon pairs by engineering the input pump beam. In addition, the relative phase between spatially entangled photon pairs can be easily manipulated by preparing the relative phase of input pump states.
Cutting-edge quantum technologies lean on sources of high-dimensional entangled states (HDESs) that reliably prepare high-fidelity target states. The idea to overlap photon paths from distinct but indistinguishable sources was recently introduced for the creation of HDESs, known as entanglement by path identity. In this regard, the use of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes is promising, as they offer a high-dimensional and discrete Hilbert space to encode information. While entanglement by path identity with OAM has been verified experimentally, a detailed investigation of how the OAM distribution of photon pairs can be engineered to maximize the entanglement is lacking. We address this gap and identify an optimal dimensionality for maximally entangled states (MESs) when the spatial engineering of the pump beam and the path-identity approach are combined. Our theoretical study reveals notable limitations for the fidelity of high-dimensional target states. We also establish the equivalence of entangled biphoton states pumped by a spatially engineered beam and generated via path identity. These findings constitute a valuable step toward the optimized preparation of MESs in high dimensions.
ObjectiveQuantum communication is an emerging mode of communication with broad application prospects, combining with classical information science and technology. It offers unconditional security and efficient transmission of information, making it a hot research topic in todayƳs communication field. High-dimensional quantum entanglement often exhibits strong nonlocality, enhancing the security in quantum communication processes and playing a crucial role in quantum communication and computing. To meet the demand for high-dimensional entangled states in quantum information science, this paper proposes a method for generating high-dimensional Bell states based on the Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) of photons, capable of producing the complete set of Bell state basis vectors with high fidelity.MethodsInitially, the Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion (SPDC) process involving photon OAM is studied. Furthermore, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is employed to optimize the quantum state of the pump light, aiming to obtain the required high-dimensional maximally entangled states. We analyze the characteristics of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams in detail and explore their application in the SPDC process. By optimizing the parameters of the pump light, maximally entangled states are generated in three-dimensional, four-dimensional, and five-dimensional spaces.ResultsA comparison of the spatial mode spectral distribution shows that the optimized entangled states possess higher fidelity to the target states. Additionally, by simulating the generation of 16 Bell states, it is verified that the produced quantum states form a complete basis for a four-dimensional Hilbert space.ConclusionThe proposed scheme not only effectively generates high-dimensional entangled states but also enables longer-distance quantum communication and potentially global quantum communication systems. Moreover, it provides new avenues for the application of high-dimensional entangled states in the fields of quantum communication and computing, significantly contributing to the advancement of quantum information science.
High-dimensional entanglement is a valuable resource for quantum communication, and photon pairs entangled in orbital angular momentum (OAM) are commonly used for encoding high-dimensional quantum states. However, methods for the preparation of maximally entangled states of arbitrary dimensionality are still lacking, and currently used approaches essentially rely on filtering and entanglement concentration. Here, we experimentally realize a method for the generation of high-dimensional maximally entangled OAM states of photon pairs which does not require any of these procedures. Moreover, the prepared state is restricted to the subspace of the specified dimensionality, thus requiring minimal spatial postselection.
Photon pairs entangled in high-dimensional orbital angular momentum (OAM) degrees of freedom (DOF) have been widely regarded as a possible source for improving the capacity of quantum information processing. The generation of a high-dimensional maximally entangled state in the OAM DOF is therefore much desired. In this work, we demonstrate a simple method to generate a broader and flatter OAM spectrum, i.e., a larger spiral bandwidth (SB), of entangled photon pairs generated through spontaneous parametric down-conversion by modifying the pump beam profile. By investigating both experimentally and theoretically, we find that an exponential pump profile that is roughly the inverse of the mode profiles of the single-mode fibers used for OAM detection will provide a much larger SB compared to a Gaussian-shaped pump.
Abstract In this work, we investigate the orbital angular momentum (OAM) spectrum of photons generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) and study how shaping the transverse profile of the pump beam influences the resulting spectrum. Using a perfect optical vortex (POV) mode as the pump, we show that the OAM spectrum narrows significantly, leading to purer OAM states. We further examine the entanglement between the down-converted photons in the OAM basis, finding that Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) pumped photons exhibit increased higher-dimensional entanglement at the expense of mode purity.