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arXiv:2505.13992

A heralded quantum amplifier of multi-photon states

Luis Villegas-Aguilar, Farzad Ghafari, Matthew S. Winnel, Varun Boehm Verma, Lynden K. Shalm, Timothy C. Ralph, Geoff J. Pryde, Sergei Slussarenko

Published May 20, 2025• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Large-scale quantum networking systems will inevitably require methods to overcome photon loss. While the no-cloning theorem forbids perfect and deterministic amplification of unknown quantum states, probabilistic heralded amplification schemes offer a viable path forward. Yet, for over a decade, successful multi-photon state amplification has remained out of reach, despite the fundamental importance of such states in achieving quantum advantage in optical applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a high-fidelity and post-selection-free amplifier for multi-photon states. We achieve heralded amplification of states with up to two photons in a single optical mode, with over a hundredfold intensity gain, and verify the coherence-preserving operation of our scheme. Our approach is scalable to higher photon numbers and enables noiseless amplification of complex multi-photon quantum states, with applications in large-scale quantum communication systems, distributed quantum metrology, and information processing.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2505.13992

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Large-scale quantum networking systems will inevitably require methods to overcome photon loss. While the no-cloning theorem forbids perfect and deterministic amplification of unknown quantum states, probabilistic heralded amplification schemes offer a viable path forward. Yet, for over a decade, successful multi-photon state amplification has remained out of reach, despite the fundamental importance of such states in achieving quantum advantage in optical applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a high-fidelity and post-selection-free amplifier for multi-photon states. We achieve heralded amplification of states with up to two photons in a single optical mode, with over a hundredfold intensity gain, and verify the coherence-preserving operation of our scheme. Our approach is scalable to higher photon numbers and enables noiseless amplification of complex multi-photon quantum states, with applications in large-scale quantum communication systems, distributed quantum metrology, and information processing.
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Entangled states of photons form the foundation of quantum communication, computation, and metrology. Yet their generation remains fundamentally constrained: in the absence of intrinsic photon-photon interactions, the generation of such states is inherently probabilistic rather than deterministic. The prevalent technique of post-selection verifies the creation of an entangled state by detecting and thus destroying it. Heralding offers a solution in which measuring ancillary photons in auxiliary modes signals the state generation without the need to measure it. Here, we introduce and experimentally demonstrate a scheme to generate a three-mode two-photon NOON state, where the detection of a single photon in one heralding mode signifies the presence of the state in three target modes. We validate the generated state by estimating a fidelity of 0.823 +/- 0.018 with respect to an ideal three-mode NOON state and certifying genuine multipartite entanglement. By virtue of the high success probability and small resource overhead of our scheme, our work provides a theoretical and experimental stepping stone for entangled multi-mode state generation, which is realizable with current technology. These multi-mode entangled states represent a key direction for linear optical quantum information that is complementary to multi-qubit state encoding.
Loss suppression is a major challenge in quantum communication and quantum computing, primarily due to the limitations imposed by the no-cloning theorem. We present a noiseless quantum amplifier capable of probabilistically increasing the amplitude of coherent states without introducing additional noise to the amplified state. This is achieved through the conditional addition and subtraction of photons. Previously, experimental photon addition was restricted to a single photon. Recently, we have pushed these boundaries, demonstrating photon addition of up to three photons for the first time [1], as well as the combination of conditional addition of two photons followed by their conditional subtraction [2]. Our advanced noiseless amplifier achieves high amplification gain, fidelity, and purity, with the quadrature variances of the noiselessly amplified coherent states remaining close to the minimum uncertainty limit. Figure 1 illustrates the performance of our amplifier compared to that of an amplifier based on single-photon addition and subtraction.
Abstract Optical signals are subject to a distance-dependent loss as they propagate through transmission media. High-intensity, classical, optical signals can routinely be amplified to overcome the degradation caused by this loss. However, quantum optical states cannot be deterministically amplified and any attempt to do so will introduce intrinsic noise that spoils the desired quantum properties. Non-deterministic optical amplification, based on post-selection of the output depending on certain conditioning detection outcomes, is an emerging enabling technology in quantum measurement and quantum communications. Here we present an investigation into the properties of a simple, modular optical state comparison amplifier operating on weak coherent states. This amplifier requires no complex quantum resources and is based on linear optical components allowing for a high amplification rate at high gain and fidelity. We examine the amplifier’s performance in different configurations and develop an accurate analytical model that accounts for typical experimental scenarios.
Noiseless quantum amplifiers are probabilistic quantum devices that enhance the amplitude of coherent states without adding any noise, which has far reaching applications in quantum optics and quantum information processing. Here, we report on an experimental implementation of an advanced noiseless quantum amplifier for coherent states of light that is based on the conditional addition of two photons followed by the conditional subtraction of two photons. We comprehensively characterize the noiselessly amplified coherent states via quantum state tomography and analyze the amplification gain and noise properties of the amplifier. We observe very good agreement between the experiment and theoretical predictions. Our work reveals that sequences of multiple photon additions and subtractions represent an efficient and experimentally feasible alternative to multiplexing that was originally proposed to boost the performance of noiseless quantum amplifiers. Beyond noiseless quantum amplification, our experiment represents a significant step forward towards engineering complex quantum operations on traveling light beams by coherent combinations of various sequences of multiphoton additions and subtractions.
Non-Gaussian quantum states are essential resources for continuous-variable quantum information processing and for metrology. Among these, multi-photon added coherent states bridge classical and non-classical behaviors; however, their generation typically relies on small photon numbers and probabilistic heralding schemes. Here, we propose a protocol for the post-selection free generation of high fidelity multi-photon added coherent states using the photon blockade effect in a driven Kerr nonlinear resonator, where such states emerge naturally during the dynamics. We demonstrate that high-fidelity states can be prepared by optimizing the external drive power and the interaction time. Furthermore, we show that the protocol is robust under realistic experimental conditions, achieving fidelities of ≈99%\approx 99\%≈99% with current state-of-the-art parameters. Our results unlock a deterministic route to complex non-classical states using well-established quantum optical platforms.