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Frontiers in Optics

Linear Optical Quantum Metrology with Single Photons

Keith R. Motes, Jonathan P. Olson, Evan J. Rabeaux, Jonathan P. Dowling, S. Jay Olson, Peter P. Rohde

Published Jan 1, 2015• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We show that a passive, linear-optical interferometer (fed with only single-photon inputs and utilizing single-mode photodetection) is capable of beating the shotnoise limit, providing a potential pathway forward to practical quantum metrology.
DOI
10.1364/fio.2015.fw4d.2

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The limit of precision in optical measurements is due to quantum fluctuations, which are governed by Poissonian statistics. With a clever setup, however, the authors achieve a precision in transmission measurements that beats this limit, without the selective analysis of recorded data (post-selection). This shows that the single-photon-detector approach, used by many groups worldwide, is viable for real-world optical quantum metrology, not just proof-of-principle tests. In turn, this demonstration unlocks an array of techniques for quantum-state engineering that crucially depend on single-photon detection.