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:2602.13946

Homodyne Detection of Temporally Resolved Quantum States

Owen Sandner, Brendan Mackey, Yuyang Liu, Connor Kupchak, Andrew MacRae

quant-phSubmitted Feb 15, 2026• Announced Feb 17, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present an analysis of the time domain measurement of temporally resolvable quantum states using balanced homodyne detection. Our approach outlines a formalism of detecting quantum states in arbitrary temporal modes via projection of the temporal mode onto a natural detector basis. We then present an algorithm for simulating the resultant photocurrent of continuous homodyne detection in the presence of a temporally resolved mode, and use this algorithm to explore the effects of realistic measurement errors on marginal reconstruction and quantum state tomography. A complete implementation of the method is provided through open source code on a GitHub repository.

Comments
17 pages, 5 figures

Related papers

Homodyne detection of temporally resolved quantum states

Owen Sandner, Brendan Mackey, Yuyang Liu +2 more

Abstract We present an analysis of the time domain measurement of temporally resolvable quantum states using balanced homodyne detection. Our approach outlines a formalism of detecting quantum states in arbitrary temporal modes via projection of the temporal mode onto a natural detector basis. We then present an algorithm for simulating the resultant photocurrent of continuous homodyne detection in the presence of a temporally resolved mode, and use this algorithm to explore the effects of realistic measurement errors on reconstruction of the marginal probability distribution and quantum state tomography. A complete implementation of the method is provided through open source code on a GitHub repository.

Physica Scripta•May 7, 2026•1 citation

Two-mode homodyne tomography of time-encoded single-photon ebits

Alessandro Zavatta, Milena D’Angelo, Valentina Parigi +1 more

We have developed a technique for dual-temporal-mode, ultrafast, time-domain, balanced homodyne detection. We have tested it by performing homodyne measurements on pairs of picosecond-duration temporal modes (or “time bins”) carrying a delocalized single photon. The experimental homodyne data have been used to reconstruct both the density matrix and the two-mode Wigner function of the delocalized state, thus showing the correlations existing between the pair of temporal modes carrying the single photon.

Laser Physics•Oct 30, 2006•2 citations

Time-domain analysis of quantum states of light: noise characterization and homodyne tomography

Alessandro Zavatta, Marco Bellini, Pier Luigi Ramazza +2 more

We measured the time-domain quantum statistics of a pulsed, high-repetition-rate optical field by balanced homodyne detection. The measuring apparatus discriminates the time scales on which intrinsic quantum fluctuations prevail from those scales for which technical noise is overwhelming. A tomographic reconstruction of weak coherent states with various average photon numbers demonstrates the potential ability of the system to measure high-repetition-rate, time-resolved signals. Possible extensions to other physical situations are discussed.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•May 1, 2002•78 citations

Characterization of quantum states of light by means of homodyne detection and reconstruction of Wigner functions

Andrés Martínez Silva

In this work, a continuous variable quantum tomography is presented. This is done using two approaches, one using simulated data and another one using data from measurements performed in the laboratory. The Radon inverse transform, under the approximation of filtered back projection, alongside the details on the implementa- tion of balanced homodyne detection needed to perform the tomography are clearly explained. Density matrices in the quadrature and number representation are also obtained from the Wigner function. Additionally, complete documentation of the computational implementation and a user-friendly interface for the tomography is reported

•Jan 1, 2020•0 citations

Tomography of time-bin quantum states using time-resolved detection

Karolina Sedziak, Artur Czerwiński, Piotr Leszek Kolenderski

We present a method for measuring quantum states encoded in the temporal modes of photons. The basis for the multilevel quantum states is defined by the use of modes propagating in a dispersive medium, which is a fiber in this case. The propagation and time-resolved single-photon detection allow us to define a positive-operator valued measure (POVM). The POVM depends on the amount of dispersion and the characteristics of a detector. This framework is numerically tested by performing quantum state tomography on a large number of states for a set of realistic experimental settings. Finally, the average fidelity between the expected and reconstructed states is computed for qubits, qutrits, and entangled qubits.

arXiv:2003.11981•Physical Review A•Nov 24, 2020•24 citations

Witnessing quantum squeezing with binary homodyne detection

Christian R. Muller, Kaushik Parasuram Seshadreesan, Christian Peuntinger +2 more

Homodyne detection is a typical continuous-variable measurement scheme, ubiquitously used in quantum optics and quantum information. A conventional homodyne detector performs a projective measurement onto a quadrature of the electromagnetic field mode, thus yielding a continuously distributed measurement outcome. The outcome distribution is the marginal of the Wigner function of the state. Homodyne detection also forms the basis of heterodyne, or “dual homodyne” detection, which corresponds to measuring the Q function of the state.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2017•0 citations
We present an analysis of the time domain measurement of temporally resolvable quantum states using balanced homodyne detection. Our approach outlines a formalism of detecting quantum states in arbitrary temporal modes via projection of the temporal mode onto a natural detector basis. We then present an algorithm for simulating the resultant photocurrent of continuous homodyne detection in the presence of a temporally resolved mode, and use this algorithm to explore the effects of realistic measurement errors on marginal reconstruction and quantum state tomography. A complete implementation of the method is provided through open source code on a GitHub repository.
Abstract We present an analysis of the time domain measurement of temporally resolvable quantum states using balanced homodyne detection. Our approach outlines a formalism of detecting quantum states in arbitrary temporal modes via projection of the temporal mode onto a natural detector basis. We then present an algorithm for simulating the resultant photocurrent of continuous homodyne detection in the presence of a temporally resolved mode, and use this algorithm to explore the effects of realistic measurement errors on reconstruction of the marginal probability distribution and quantum state tomography. A complete implementation of the method is provided through open source code on a GitHub repository.
We have developed a technique for dual-temporal-mode, ultrafast, time-domain, balanced homodyne detection. We have tested it by performing homodyne measurements on pairs of picosecond-duration temporal modes (or “time bins”) carrying a delocalized single photon. The experimental homodyne data have been used to reconstruct both the density matrix and the two-mode Wigner function of the delocalized state, thus showing the correlations existing between the pair of temporal modes carrying the single photon.
We measured the time-domain quantum statistics of a pulsed, high-repetition-rate optical field by balanced homodyne detection. The measuring apparatus discriminates the time scales on which intrinsic quantum fluctuations prevail from those scales for which technical noise is overwhelming. A tomographic reconstruction of weak coherent states with various average photon numbers demonstrates the potential ability of the system to measure high-repetition-rate, time-resolved signals. Possible extensions to other physical situations are discussed.
In this work, a continuous variable quantum tomography is presented. This is done using two approaches, one using simulated data and another one using data from measurements performed in the laboratory. The Radon inverse transform, under the approximation of filtered back projection, alongside the details on the implementa- tion of balanced homodyne detection needed to perform the tomography are clearly explained. Density matrices in the quadrature and number representation are also obtained from the Wigner function. Additionally, complete documentation of the computational implementation and a user-friendly interface for the tomography is reported
We present a method for measuring quantum states encoded in the temporal modes of photons. The basis for the multilevel quantum states is defined by the use of modes propagating in a dispersive medium, which is a fiber in this case. The propagation and time-resolved single-photon detection allow us to define a positive-operator valued measure (POVM). The POVM depends on the amount of dispersion and the characteristics of a detector. This framework is numerically tested by performing quantum state tomography on a large number of states for a set of realistic experimental settings. Finally, the average fidelity between the expected and reconstructed states is computed for qubits, qutrits, and entangled qubits.
Homodyne detection is a typical continuous-variable measurement scheme, ubiquitously used in quantum optics and quantum information. A conventional homodyne detector performs a projective measurement onto a quadrature of the electromagnetic field mode, thus yielding a continuously distributed measurement outcome. The outcome distribution is the marginal of the Wigner function of the state. Homodyne detection also forms the basis of heterodyne, or “dual homodyne” detection, which corresponds to measuring the Q function of the state.