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

Physical Review A

Single-photon interference over large distances

J. D. Franson, K. Potocki

Published Apr 1, 1988• 26 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The interference pattern from a light source containing a single excited atom was observed with an interferometer 45 m in length. The visibility of the single-photon interference pattern was the same as that obtained with a high-intensity light source to within the experimental uncertainty of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5%.
DOI
10.1103/physreva.37.2511

Related papers

Classical visibility limit for three-photon interference

I. N. Agafonov, T. Sh. Iskhakov, Alexander N. Penin +1 more

It is shown theoretically and experimentally that the third-order interference of intensities, which is studied in many works performed in the last decade and is usually attributed to three-photon entanglement, can also be observed for classical light with a high visibility up to 81.8%. The calculations show that classical sources ensure an even higher visibility of the interference pattern up to 94.4% for fourth order intensity interference. Thus, a large visibility of the interference pattern of the third and higher orders cannot be considered an attribute of the nonclassical character of the effect.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters•Jun 1, 2007•4 citations

Single photon interference in 10 km long optical fibre interferometer

Paul D. Townsend, John Rarity, P. R. Tapster

Single-photon interference fringes with greater than 90% visibility were measured using a 10 km long optical fibre interferometer. The experiment employed a pulsed semiconductor laser source operating at a wavelength of 1.3 μm and a novel single-photon counting scheme using high-speed germanium avalanche photodiodes. Interferometers of this type could form the basis of future quantum cryptography systems.

Electronics Letters•Apr 1, 1993•284 citations

Interference between independent photons

Henryk Paul

A comprehensive review is given of investigations, both theoretical and experimental, that demonstrate interference to take place even when the fields involved are produced by independent sources. The physical situation is rather different for coherent and incoherent fields. In the first case, where the sources are lasers, a conventional interference pattern can be observed which is adequately described by the classical theory. In the present paper, special attention is paid to the question of whether this interference persists when the two laser beams become strongly attenuated. In the second case, the sources are individual atoms excited by a pumping mechanism, that emit spontaneously and, hence, independently from each other. In those circumstances, no interference pattern can show up. However, it becomes evident from both the classical and the quantum-mechanical theory that interference effects can still be established by observing intensity correlations rather than the intensity itself. This point is discussed in greater detail. The pioneering experiments of Forrester, Gudmundson and Johnson, and Brown and Twiss are reviewed in this context. Especially interesting from the theoretical point of view is the case of two emitting atoms, since then the classical and the quantum-mechanical description differ significantly, the quantum theory predicting the intensity correlations to be distinctly stronger than those following from classical considerations. This specific quantum-mechanical feature is shown to be intimately connected with the corpuscular aspect of light.

Reviews of Modern Physics•Jan 1, 1986•147 citations

Single-Photon Double-Slit Interference—A Demonstration

Sherwood I. Parker

Apparatus is described which produces an interference pattern using only one photon at a time. It can be used in a lighted room—no significant dark adaption is needed to see the pattern, even at the one-photon level. The number of photons per second producing the pattern is measured in the same apparatus with a photomultiplier.

American Journal of Physics•Jul 1, 1972•13 citations

Transverse coherence length of down-converted light in the two-photon state

E. J. S. Fonseca, Carlos Henrique Monken, Sebastião Pádua +1 more

Measurements of the Young interference pattern for down-converted light in the two-photon state are performed. Light in the two-photon state is generated at the output of a Hong-Ou-Mandel balanced interferometer. Two-photon interference patterns with visibilities up to 100% are obtained. Visibilities of the two-photon interference patterns as a function of the double-slit separation are obtained and show that the transverse coherence length of the two-photon light is much larger than the one-photon beam for the distances considered in the experiment.

Physical Review A•Feb 1, 1999•31 citations

Investigation of a single-photon source based on quantum interference

T. B. Pittman, J. D. Franson, B. C. Jacobs

We report on an experimental investigation of a single-photon source based on a quantum interference effect first demonstrated by Koashi, Matsuoka and Hirano (1996 Phys. Rev. A 53 3621). For certain types of measurement-based quantum information processing applications this technique may be useful as a high rate, but random, source of single photons.

arXiv:quant-ph/0701195•New Journal of Physics•Jun 29, 2007•14 citations
It is shown theoretically and experimentally that the third-order interference of intensities, which is studied in many works performed in the last decade and is usually attributed to three-photon entanglement, can also be observed for classical light with a high visibility up to 81.8%. The calculations show that classical sources ensure an even higher visibility of the interference pattern up to 94.4% for fourth order intensity interference. Thus, a large visibility of the interference pattern of the third and higher orders cannot be considered an attribute of the nonclassical character of the effect.
A comprehensive review is given of investigations, both theoretical and experimental, that demonstrate interference to take place even when the fields involved are produced by independent sources. The physical situation is rather different for coherent and incoherent fields. In the first case, where the sources are lasers, a conventional interference pattern can be observed which is adequately described by the classical theory. In the present paper, special attention is paid to the question of whether this interference persists when the two laser beams become strongly attenuated. In the second case, the sources are individual atoms excited by a pumping mechanism, that emit spontaneously and, hence, independently from each other. In those circumstances, no interference pattern can show up. However, it becomes evident from both the classical and the quantum-mechanical theory that interference effects can still be established by observing intensity correlations rather than the intensity itself. This point is discussed in greater detail. The pioneering experiments of Forrester, Gudmundson and Johnson, and Brown and Twiss are reviewed in this context. Especially interesting from the theoretical point of view is the case of two emitting atoms, since then the classical and the quantum-mechanical description differ significantly, the quantum theory predicting the intensity correlations to be distinctly stronger than those following from classical considerations. This specific quantum-mechanical feature is shown to be intimately connected with the corpuscular aspect of light.
Measurements of the Young interference pattern for down-converted light in the two-photon state are performed. Light in the two-photon state is generated at the output of a Hong-Ou-Mandel balanced interferometer. Two-photon interference patterns with visibilities up to 100% are obtained. Visibilities of the two-photon interference patterns as a function of the double-slit separation are obtained and show that the transverse coherence length of the two-photon light is much larger than the one-photon beam for the distances considered in the experiment.