Physical Review A

First-quantization quantum-mechanical insight into the Hong-Ou-Mandel two-photon interferometer with polarizers and its role as a quantum eraser

Fedor Herbut, Milan Vujičić

Published Jul 1, 1997• 9 citations

Abstract

A straightforward derivation of a first-quantization two-photon state vector is presented for the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer with a possible half-wave plate and possible linear analyzers in the ports. It is shown that one is dealing with a quantum eraser in a somewhat broader physical sense: It is not strictly the interference from version I of the experiment, the interference that has been suppressed by entanglement in version II, that is revived in version III; but it is an analogous interference. Besides, the coincidence probability for arbitrary-angle analyzers in the general case of arbitrary polarization in the lower arm of the interferometer is derived. The interference phenomenon of a complete decoupling of the partial loss of interference and the coincidence events in the ports is demonstrated. It is pointed out that the phenomenon of distant polarization (a special case of distant preparation) carries all the nonlocality between the two photons in the two ports.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.56.931

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