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Quantum-Atom Optics Downunder (QAO)

Twisted photons for quantum applications

Gabriel Molina‐Terriza, Clara I. Osorio, Noelia Gonzalez, Yana Deyanova, Juan P. Torres

Published Jan 1, 2007• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

In this talk we will give an overview of the latest advances in the control of the Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) of photons for applications in quantum information and quantum optics [1]. The OAM of light is related with the intensity and phase spatial profiles of the beam, and it can be controlled by different means. Moreover, photons can be entangled in this degree of freedom, which is a particular case of spatial entanglement of photons [2,3].

DOI
10.1364/qao.2007.qwe14

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In this talk we will give an overview of the latest advances in the control of the Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) of photons for applications in quantum information and quantum optics [1]. The OAM of light is related with the intensity and phase spatial profiles of the beam, and it can be controlled by different means. Moreover, photons can be entangled in this degree of freedom, which is a particular case of spatial entanglement of photons [2,3].
Twisted light, or light with orbital angular momentum (OAM), plays an emerging role in both classical and quantum science, with important applications in areas as diverse as biophotonics, micromachines, spintronics, or quantum information. It offers fascinating opportunities for exploring new fundamental ideas in physics, as well as for being used as a tool for practical applications. One important point is to determine how to generate single photons, and two-photon states, with an appropriate OAM content. Here we describe the paraxial orbital angular momentum of entangled photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in different non-collinear geometries. These geometries introduce a variety of new features. In particular, we find the OAM of entangled pairs generated in purely transverse-emitting configurations, where the entangled photons counter-propagate perpendicularly to the direction of propagation of the pump beam. The spatial walk-off of all interacting waves in the parametric process also determines the OAM content of the down-converted photons, and here its influence is also revealed.
Orbital angular momentum (OAM) of single photons represents a new optical degree of freedom for the entanglement of photons [1,2]. One physical realization of OAM carrying light beams are the so called Laguerre-Gaussian modes of light with the required helical phase structure. One big advantage over the well known polarization degree of freedom is the possibility of realizing entanglement between two photons with very high quantum numbers. However, the creation of photonic OAM entanglement using the widely used spontaneous parametric downconversion process is limited by the strongly reduced efficiency for higher momenta [3]. We have realized a novel method to create entanglement between two photons with a very high difference in their OAM quantum number and momentum respectively. Furthermore we have explored hybrid entanglement of photons in the OAM and polarization degree of freedom.
Photons are an ideal candidate for encoding both classical and quantum information. Besides spin angular momentum associated with circular polarization, single photon can also carry other fundamentally new degree of freedom of orbital angular momentum related to the spiral phase structure of light. The key significance of orbital angular momentum lies in its potential in realizing a high-dimensional Hilbert space and in encoding a high-dimensional quantum information. Since Allen et al. [Allen L, Beijersbergen M W, Spreeuw R J C, Woerdman J P 1992 Phys. Rev. A 45 8185] recognized the physical reality of photon orbital angular momentum in 1992, rapidly growing interest has been aroused in orbital angular momentum (OAM) from both classical and quantum points of view. Here we present an overall review on the high-order orbital angular momentum of photon, including its preparation and manipulation based on some specific techniques and also its applications. The spatial light modulator is a commercial device that has been widely employed to generate the OAM beams. We make and identify the optical OAM superposition with very high quantum numbers up to l=360. Recently, the metallic spiral phase mirrors were also developed to produce high-order OAM beams up to l=5050. In addition, the Q-plates made of anisotropic and inhomogeneous liquid crystals were invented to generate high-order OAM beams in a polarization-controllable manner, and the OAM superposition of l=± 50 were achieved. Owing to high rotational symmetry, these high OAM beams have been found to have more and more important applications in the fields of high-sensitivity sensing and high-precision measurements. Two fascinating examples are discussed in detail. The first example is that the research group led by Prof. Zeilinger has prepared and observed the quantum entanglement of high orbital angular momenta up to l=±300 by the technique of polarization-OAM entanglement swapping, and they demonstrated that the angular resolution could be significantly improved by a factor of l. Their result was the first step for entangling and twisting even macroscopic, spatially separated objects in two different directions. The second example is that the research group led by Prof. Padgett has demonstrated an elegant experiment of rotational Doppler effects for visible light with l=±20 OAM superposition. They showed that a spinning object with an optically rough surface might induce a Doppler effect in light reflected from the direction parallel to the rotation axis, and the frequency shift was proportional to both the disk's angular speed and the optical OAM. The potential applications in noncontact measurement of angular speed and in significant improvement of angular resolution for remote sensing will be particularly fascinating.
This presentation first reviews the historical development of the field of nonlinear optics, starting from its inception in 1961. It then reviews some of its more recent developments, including especially how nonlinear optics has become a crucial tool for the developing field of quantum technologies. Fundamental quantum processes enabled by nonlinear optics, such as the creation of squeezed and entangled light states, are reviewed. We then illustrate these concepts by means of specific applications, such as the development of secure communication systems based on the quantum states of light. We are also interested in studying the properties of structured light fields. These structured light beams have recently been shown to possess exotic properties of their own, such as vacuum propagation velocities differing from the light velocity c for plane waves. These beams can also be tailored in such a way that they carry orbital angular momentum, which can be used to apply a torque to mechanical objects and as a carrier of information in a classical and quantum telecommunication system. Light can carry angular momentum both by means of its spin angular momentum (as manifested for example in circular polarization) and by means of its orbital angular momentum (OAM), whose origin is a helical structure of its wavefront. The orbital angular momentum of light has recently been recognized to constitute a crucial attribute for many photonic technologies, including the trapping and manipulation of small particles and for multiplexing in optical telecommunication. In this presentation we review some of the fundamental properties of OAM including its quantum features such as entanglement. We then go on to describe a secure telecommunication system in which information is encoded in OAM, and which can carry more than one bit of information per photon.
The identification of orbital angular momentum (OAM) as a fundamental property of a beam of light nearly 25 years ago has led to an extensive body of research around this topic. The possibility that single photons can carry OAM has made this degree of freedom an ideal candidate for the investigation of complex quantum phenomena and their applications. Research in this direction has ranged from experiments on complex forms of quantum entanglement to the interaction between light and quantum states of matter. Furthermore, the use of OAM in quantum information has generated a lot of excitement, as it allows for encoding large amounts of information on a single photon. Here, we explain the intuition that led to the first quantum experiment with OAM 15 years ago. We continue by reviewing some key experiments investigating fundamental questions on photonic OAM and the first steps to applying these properties in novel quantum protocols. At the end, we identify several interesting open questions that could form the subject of future investigations with OAM.This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.