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Journal of Nanophotonics

Description of the states of two-photon interference in an optical gating Michelson interferometer

Ekkarat Pongophas, Watthana Sriklin, Asawin Sinsarp, Sujin Suwanna, Withoon Chunwachirasiri, Wisit Singhsomroje

Published Mar 8, 2016• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigate the interference of two photons in an optical gating Michelson interferometer. The phenomenon is studied using two different representations of photons: the space-time domain and a step-by-step two-photon state evolution. Both representations lead to identical results. The evolution analysis describes the result by the interference of four two-photon traveling states, whereas the space-time domain analysis reveals that the classical interference of the high-intensity light source is identical to two-photon interference in the quantum regime, except for a multiplicative factor of (n2), where n is the number of photons.

DOI
10.1117/1.jnp.10.016013

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We investigate the interference of two photons in an optical gating Michelson interferometer. The phenomenon is studied using two different representations of photons: the space-time domain and a step-by-step two-photon state evolution. Both representations lead to identical results. The evolution analysis describes the result by the interference of four two-photon traveling states, whereas the space-time domain analysis reveals that the classical interference of the high-intensity light source is identical to two-photon interference in the quantum regime, except for a multiplicative factor of (n2), where n is the number of photons.
The interference of two photons in the optical gating Michelson interferometer is investigated. The phenomenon is studied using two different representations of photons: the space-time domain and a step-by-step two photon state evolution. Both representations lead to an equivalent description of the two-photon states which is the interference of four cases of two-photon traveling states, as implied by the evolution analysis. Additionally, the space-time domain analysis reveals that the classical interference of high-intensity light source is identical to the two-photon interference in the quantum regime except for a multiplicative factor of (n 2), where n is the number of photons.
The temporal coherence interference properties of light as revealed by single detector intensity measurements in a Michelson-Morley interferometer (MMI) is often described in terms of classical optics. We show, in a pedagogical manner, how such features of light also can be understood in terms of a more general quantum-optics framework. If a thermal reference source is used in the MMI local oscillator port in combination with a thermal source in the signal port, the interference pattern revealed by single detector intensity measurements shows a distinctive dependence on the differences in the temperature of the two sources. A related method has actually been used to perform high-precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation. The general quantum-optics framework allows us to consider any initialquantum state. As an example, we consider the interference of single photons as a tool to determine the peak angular-frequency of a single-photon pulse interfering with a single-photon reference pulse. A similar consideration for laser pulses, in terms of coherent states, leads to a different response in the detector. The MMI experimental setup is therefore an example of an optical device where one, in terms of intensity measurements, can exhibit the difference between classical and quantum-mechanical light.
We investigate how the temporal coherence interference properties of light in a Michelson-Morley interferometer (MMI), using only a single-photon detector, can be understood in a quantum-optics framework in a straightforward and pedagogical manner. For this purpose we make use of elementary quantum field theory and Glaubers theory for photon detection in order to calculate the expected interference pattern in the MMI. If a thermal reference source is used in the MMI local oscillator port in combination with a thermal source in the signal port, the interference pattern revealed by such an intensity measurement shows a distinctive dependence on the differences in the temperature of the two sources. The MMI can therefore be used in order to perform temperature measurements. A related method was actually used to carry out high precision measurements of the cosmic micro-wave background radiation on board of the COBE satellite. The theoretical framework allows us to consider any initial quantum state. The interference of single photons as a tool to determine the angular peak-frequency of a one-photon pulse interfering with a single-photon reference pulse is, e.g., considered. A similar consideration for coherent laser pulses leads to a different response in the detector. The MMI experimental setup is therefore in a sense an example of an optical device where one can exhibit the difference between classical and quantum-mechanical light using only intensity measurements.
The interference of entangled photon pairs permits the study of the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics. The process is also finding practical applications in optical imaging. The Michelson interferometer provides an elegant means for characterizing the degree of two-photon entanglement, but the technique has not yet been described and analyzed in detail. Here we provide a full description of the interference of collinear down-converted photons in a Michelson interferometer. We explain the basic elements that characterize the interference pattern and complement the theory with experimental measurements. The two-photon Michelson interferometer can be used in quantum optical coherence tomography for dispersion-free imaging and localization.
We have observed two-photon quantum interference in a Michelson interferometer. For the first time, we experimentally demonstrated two-photon quantum interference patterns, which show the transition from nonsubwavelength interference fringes to the general subwavelength interference. At the same time, a photon bunching effect was also shown by a postselection. The \ensuremath{\mid}1, 1⟩ state with a single photon in a mode corresponding to each arm of the interferometer was exclusively postselected by using path difference between two arms.
Two-photon interference of broadband chaotic light in a Michelson interferometer is theoretically and numerically studied with a two-photon-absorption detector when polarizations are taken into account. Under the frame of quantum optics, the theoretical analysis is based on two-photon interference and Feynman path integral theory. A two-photon coherence matrix is introduced to calculate the second-order interference pattern. Our research shows that polarization is another dimension, as well as time and space, to tune the second-order interference pattern in the two-photon interference process. Polarizations can act as switches to manipulate the interference process and may open the door to some new experimental schemes. The quantum optical vector model is also helpful to understand the physics of second-order interference when the light source is quantum.