We introduce a technique for stabilizing and enabling continuous phase control of fiber-based time-bin entanglement interferometers. This technique reuses the pair creation pump, which coexists with and co-propagates with the entangled photons.
Time is a practical and robust degree of freedom for the encoding of quantum information. Qubits encoded in so-called `time-bins', allowing a discrete superposition of two potential arrival times, have their entanglement preserved even over long propagation distances in standard fiber networks [1]. Time has also been used for the preparation of more complex quantum systems, such as hyper-entangled and cluster states [2]. These qualities put time-bin encoding at the center of applications ranging from quantum state preparation through to quantum communications and information processing. One of the hallmarks of the scheme is that a nonlinear element has to be pumped with phase-coherent double-pulses, which can be achieved by using unbalanced interferometers [1], making their phase stability the key determinant of both state generation and analysis accuracy. However, the phase ambiguity arising from the periodicity of feedback signals [3], as well as the difficulty of stabilizing on interference maxima/minima, leave progress to be made in fiberbased interferometry for time-bin encodings.
Encoding quantum information in photonic time-bin states is typically considered impractical for moving free-space quantum communication due to the difficulties with phase stabilization of distant quantum time-bin interferometers and turbulence of free-space channels. We demonstrate a novel approach using reference frame independent time-bin quantum key distribution that completely avoids the need for active relative phase stabilization while simultaneously overcoming a highly multi-mode channel without any active mode filtering. This scheme enables passive, self-compensating time-bin quantum communication without any mode filtering, mode sorting, adaptive optics, active basis selection, or active phase alignment. We realize a proof-of-concept demonstration using hybrid polarization and time-bin entangled photons that demonstrates a sustained asymptotic secure key rate greater than 0.07 bits/coincidence over a 15 m multi-mode fiber optical channel and showing entanglement correlations over a moving 38.5 dB loss free-space channel, including system losses. The scheme simplifies the use of time-bin encoding and can be readily applied over various spatially multi-mode and fluctuating channels involving rapidly moving platforms, including airborne and satellite systems.
The temporal degree-of-freedom of light is incredibly powerful for modern quantum technologies, enabling large-scale quantum computing architectures and record key-rates in quantum key distribution. However, the generalized measurement of large and complex quantum superpositions of the time-of-arrival of a photon remains a unique experimental challenge. Conventional methods based on unbalanced Franson-type interferometers scale poorly with dimension, requiring multiple cascaded devices and active phase stabilization. In addition, these are limited by construction to a restricted set of phase-only superposition measurements. Here we show how the coupling of spatial and temporal information inside a single multi-mode fiber can be harnessed to program completely generalized measurements for high-dimensional superpositions of photonic time-bin. Using the multi-spectral transmission matrix of the fiber, we find special sets of spatial modes that experience distinct dispersive delays through the fiber. By exciting coherent superpositions of these spatial modes, we engineer the equivalent of large, unbalanced multi-mode interferometers inside the fiber and use them to perform high-quality measurements of arbitrary time-bin superpositions in up to dimension 11. The single fiber functions as a scalable, common-path interferometer for time-bin qudits that significantly eases the experimental overheads of standard approaches based on unbalanced Franson-type interferometers, serving as an essential tool for quantum technologies that harness the temporal properties of light.