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:2507.03803 · Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Hong–Ou–Mandel interferometry with cavity QED-based single-photon sources: a quantum jump analysis

Alexia Dudones, Caden McCollum, Imran M. Mirza

Published Oct 24, 2025• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a quantum jump/trajectory analysis of the two-photon interference phenomenon in the context of the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) effect. In particular, we consider the standard setup of the HOM effect, which consists of two-photon sources firing single photons from opposite sides of a 50/50 beam splitter and two perfect detectors placed at the output ports to record photodetection events. For single-photon sources, we consider two special cases: (1) two excited two-level atoms and (2) two atom–cavity setups with initially present single photons in both cavities. For both cases, we report analytic results as well as quantum jump-based Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate the signatures of these single-photon sources on the HOM effect under different working conditions (e.g., strong- and weak-coupling regimes of cavity quantum electrodynamics). The HOM effect offers applications in the areas of linear optics quantum computing, as well as in protocols that test the indistinguishability of single-photon sources.

DOI
10.1364/josab.572714

Related papers

Exploration of the Hong-Ou-Mandel Effect with Cavity QED Single-photon Sources

Caden McCollum, Lexi Dudones, Imran Mirza

We use the quantum jump approach to study two-photon interference effects with cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) single photon sources arranged against a 50-50 beam splitter.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2024•0 citations

Entanglement generation and manipulation in the Hong-Ou-Mandel experiment: a hidden scenario beyond two-photon interference

Li-Kai Yang, Han Cai, Tao Peng +1 more

Abstract The Hong−Ou−Mandel (HOM) effect was long believed to be a two-photon interference phenomenon. It describes the fact that two indistinguishable photons mixed at a beam splitter will bunch together to one of the two output modes. Considering the two single-photon emitters such as trapped ions, we explore a hidden scenario of the HOM effect, where entanglement can be generated between the two ions when a single photon is detected by one of the detectors. A second photon emitted by the entangled photon sources will be subsequently detected by the same detector. However, we can also control the fate of the second photon by manipulating the entangled state. Instead of two-photon interference, the phase of the entangled state is responsible for the photon’s path in our proposal. Toward a feasible experimental realization, we conduct a quantum jump simulation on the system to show its robustness against experimental errors.

arXiv:1708.09436•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•May 1, 2018•2 citations

The non-local Hong-Ou-Mandel effect

Yuki Kodama, Jonte R. Hance, Holger F. Hofmann

Two-photon interference effects arise because photons are indistinguishable particles. In the wellknown Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect, the transmission of two photons at a beam splitter interferes destructively with the reflection of both photons, requiring both photons to "bunch up" by leaving the beam splitter on the same side. Here, we show that the interference between locally propagating photons and photons exchanged by a mode swap can be implemented by post-selecting spatially separated photon outputs of a four-path interferometer. Even though the photons detected at spatially separated locations must have travelled along paths that never met up at the same beam splitter, the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect can be observed in correlations between the output ports that originate from the association of detection events with non-local output modes defined by the two single photon inputs. Local phase shifts can be used to map out non-classical correlations between the photons detected at different output locations, clarifying the role of linear optics in generating entanglement between spatially separated photons. Our work thus establishes a fundamental relation between multiphoton interference and entanglement, opening the door to new possibilities in optical quantum technologies.

quant-pharXiv:2604.10886•Apr 14, 2026•0 citations

The Hong–Ou–Mandel Effect With Atoms

Adam M. Kaufman, Malte C. Tichy, Florian Mintert +2 more

Controlling light at the level of individual photons has led to advances in fields ranging from quantum information and precision sensing to fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. A central development that followed the advent of single-photon sources was the observation of the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) effect, a novel two-photon path interference phenomenon experienced by indistinguishable photons. The effect is now a central technique in the field of quantum optics, harnessed for a variety of applications such as diagnosing single-photon sources and creating probabilistic entanglement in linear quantum computing. Recently, several distinct experiments using atomic sources have realized the requisite control to observe and exploit Hong–Ou–Mandel interference of atoms. This chapter provides a summary of this phenomenon and discusses some of its implications for atomic systems. Transitioning from the domain of photons to atoms opens new perspectives on fundamental concepts, such as the classification of entanglement of identical particles. It aids in the design of novel probes of quantities such as entanglement entropy by combining well-established tools of AMO physics—unity single-atom detection, tunable interactions, and scalability—with the Hong–Ou–Mandel interference. Furthermore, it is now possible for established protocols in the photon community, such as measurement-induced entanglement, to be employed in atomic experiments that possess deterministic single-particle production and detection. Hence, the realization of the HOM effect with atoms represents a productive union of central ideas in quantum control of atoms and photons.

arXiv:1801.04670•Advances in atomic, molecular, and optical physics•Jan 1, 2018•27 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

Hong-Ou-Mandel interference on a real beam splitter

Dmitry N. Makarov

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is known to be one of the main phenomena in quantum optics. The effect occurs when two identical single-photon waves enter a 1:1 beam splitter, one in each input port. When the photons are identical, they will extinguish each other. One of the main elements of the HOM interferometer is the beam splitter, which has its own coefficients of reflection $R = 1/2$ and transmission $ T = 1/2 $. In this work, the general mechanism of the interaction of two photons in a beam splitter is considered using an analytical solution, which shows that in the HOM theory of the effect it is necessary to know (including when planning the experiment) not only $ R = 1/2 $ and $ T = 1/2 $, but also their root-mean-square fluctuations $ ΔR ^ 2, ΔT ^ 2 $, which arise due to the dependence of $R = R(ω_1, ω_2) $ and $ T = T (ω_1, ω_2) $ on the frequencies where $ω_1, ω_2$ are the frequencies of the first and second photons, respectively. Under certain conditions, specifically when the dependence of the fluctuations $ ΔR^2 $ and $ ΔT^2 $ can be neglected and $ R=T=1/2 $ is chosen, the developed theory coincides with previously known results.

arXiv:2002.00443•Feb 2, 2020•0 citations
We present a quantum jump/trajectory analysis of the two-photon interference phenomenon in the context of the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) effect. In particular, we consider the standard setup of the HOM effect, which consists of two-photon sources firing single photons from opposite sides of a 50/50 beam splitter and two perfect detectors placed at the output ports to record photodetection events. For single-photon sources, we consider two special cases: (1) two excited two-level atoms and (2) two atom–cavity setups with initially present single photons in both cavities. For both cases, we report analytic results as well as quantum jump-based Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate the signatures of these single-photon sources on the HOM effect under different working conditions (e.g., strong- and weak-coupling regimes of cavity quantum electrodynamics). The HOM effect offers applications in the areas of linear optics quantum computing, as well as in protocols that test the indistinguishability of single-photon sources.
Abstract The Hong−Ou−Mandel (HOM) effect was long believed to be a two-photon interference phenomenon. It describes the fact that two indistinguishable photons mixed at a beam splitter will bunch together to one of the two output modes. Considering the two single-photon emitters such as trapped ions, we explore a hidden scenario of the HOM effect, where entanglement can be generated between the two ions when a single photon is detected by one of the detectors. A second photon emitted by the entangled photon sources will be subsequently detected by the same detector. However, we can also control the fate of the second photon by manipulating the entangled state. Instead of two-photon interference, the phase of the entangled state is responsible for the photon’s path in our proposal. Toward a feasible experimental realization, we conduct a quantum jump simulation on the system to show its robustness against experimental errors.
Two-photon interference effects arise because photons are indistinguishable particles. In the wellknown Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect, the transmission of two photons at a beam splitter interferes destructively with the reflection of both photons, requiring both photons to "bunch up" by leaving the beam splitter on the same side. Here, we show that the interference between locally propagating photons and photons exchanged by a mode swap can be implemented by post-selecting spatially separated photon outputs of a four-path interferometer. Even though the photons detected at spatially separated locations must have travelled along paths that never met up at the same beam splitter, the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect can be observed in correlations between the output ports that originate from the association of detection events with non-local output modes defined by the two single photon inputs. Local phase shifts can be used to map out non-classical correlations between the photons detected at different output locations, clarifying the role of linear optics in generating entanglement between spatially separated photons. Our work thus establishes a fundamental relation between multiphoton interference and entanglement, opening the door to new possibilities in optical quantum technologies.
Controlling light at the level of individual photons has led to advances in fields ranging from quantum information and precision sensing to fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. A central development that followed the advent of single-photon sources was the observation of the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) effect, a novel two-photon path interference phenomenon experienced by indistinguishable photons. The effect is now a central technique in the field of quantum optics, harnessed for a variety of applications such as diagnosing single-photon sources and creating probabilistic entanglement in linear quantum computing. Recently, several distinct experiments using atomic sources have realized the requisite control to observe and exploit Hong–Ou–Mandel interference of atoms. This chapter provides a summary of this phenomenon and discusses some of its implications for atomic systems. Transitioning from the domain of photons to atoms opens new perspectives on fundamental concepts, such as the classification of entanglement of identical particles. It aids in the design of novel probes of quantities such as entanglement entropy by combining well-established tools of AMO physics—unity single-atom detection, tunable interactions, and scalability—with the Hong–Ou–Mandel interference. Furthermore, it is now possible for established protocols in the photon community, such as measurement-induced entanglement, to be employed in atomic experiments that possess deterministic single-particle production and detection. Hence, the realization of the HOM effect with atoms represents a productive union of central ideas in quantum control of atoms and photons.
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.
Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is known to be one of the main phenomena in quantum optics. The effect occurs when two identical single-photon waves enter a 1:1 beam splitter, one in each input port. When the photons are identical, they will extinguish each other. One of the main elements of the HOM interferometer is the beam splitter, which has its own coefficients of reflection R=1/2R = 1/2R=1/2 and transmission $ T = 1/2 $. In this work, the general mechanism of the interaction of two photons in a beam splitter is considered using an analytical solution, which shows that in the HOM theory of the effect it is necessary to know (including when planning the experiment) not only $ R = 1/2 $ and $ T = 1/2 $, but also their root-mean-square fluctuations $ ΔR ^ 2, ΔT ^ 2 $, which arise due to the dependence of $R = R(ω_1, ω_2) $ and $ T = T (ω_1, ω_2) $ on the frequencies where ω1,ω2ω_1, ω_2ω1​,ω2​ are the frequencies of the first and second photons, respectively. Under certain conditions, specifically when the dependence of the fluctuations $ ΔR^2 $ and $ ΔT^2 $ can be neglected and $ R=T=1/2 $ is chosen, the developed theory coincides with previously known results.