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Physical Review A

Nondestructive single-photon trigger

John C. Howell, John A. Yeazell

Published Aug 17, 2000• 38 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A triggering device sensitive to a single photon is discussed. It is based on a balanced quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement proposed by Chuang and Yamamoto [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 4281 (1996)]. The balanced measurement measures the total photon number and obtains no which-path/mode information. Hence, the timing of the photon can be determined without destroying its wave function or entangling the probe field. This could have extensive use in the realization of long-distance quantum communications systems.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.62.032311

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A triggering device sensitive to a single photon is discussed. It is based on a balanced quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement proposed by Chuang and Yamamoto [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 4281 (1996)]. The balanced measurement measures the total photon number and obtains no which-path/mode information. Hence, the timing of the photon can be determined without destroying its wave function or entangling the probe field. This could have extensive use in the realization of long-distance quantum communications systems.
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Two interferometric quantum-nondemolition (QND) devices have been proposed: (1) a polarization-independent device and (2) a polarization-preserving device. The prolarization-independent device works on an input state of up to two photons, whereas the polarization-preserving device works on a superposition of vacuum and single- photon states. The overall function of the device would be to probabilistically generate a unique detector output only when its input electromagnetic mode was populated by a single photon, in which case its output mode would also be populated by a single photon. Like other QND devices, the proposed devices are potentially useful for a variety of applications, including such areas of NASA interest as quantum computing, quantum communication, detection of gravity waves, as well as pedagogical demonstrations of the quantum nature of light. Many protocols in quantum computation and quantum communication require the possibility of detecting a photon without destroying it. The only prior single- photon-detecting QND device is based on quantum electrodynamics in a resonant cavity and, as such, it depends on the photon frequency. Moreover, the prior device can distinguish only between one photon and no photon. The proposed interferometric QND devices would not depend on frequency and could distinguish between (a) one photon and (b) zero or two photons. The first proposed device is depicted schematically in Figure 1. The input electromagnetic mode would be a superposition of a zero-, a one-, and a two-photon quantum state. The overall function of the device would be to probabilistically generate a unique detector output only when its input electromagnetic mode was populated by a single photon, in which case its output mode also would be populated by a single photon.
Measuring the polarization of a single photon typically results in its destruction. We propose, demonstrate, and completely characterize a quantum nondemolition (QND) scheme for realizing such a measurement nondestructively. This scheme uses only linear optics and photodetection of ancillary modes to induce a strong nonlinearity at the single-photon level, nondeterministically. We vary this QND measurement continuously into the weak regime and use it to perform a nondestructive test of complementarity in quantum mechanics. Our scheme realizes the most advanced general measurement of a qubit to date: it is nondestructive, can be made in any basis, and with arbitrary strength.
Quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements of photons is a much pursued endeavor in the field of quantum optics and quantum information processing. Here, we propose a hybrid optoelectromechanical platform that integrates a cavity system with a hybrid electromechanical probe for QND photon counting. Building upon a mechanical-mode-mediated nonperturbative electro-optical dispersive coupling, our protocol performs the QND photon counting measurement by means of the current-voltage characteristics of the probe. In particular, we show that the peak voltage shift of the differential conductance is linearly dependent on the photon occupation number, thus providing a sensitive measure of the photon number, especially in the strong optomechanical coupling regime. Given that our proposed hybrid system is compatible with state-of-the-art experimental techniques, we discuss its implementations and anticipate applications in quantum optics and polariton physics.