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

Nonlinear Properties of 'Linear' Amplifiers

J. D. Franson, R. A. Brewster

Published Aug 31, 2016• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In a linear amplifier, the output signal is linearly related to the input signal with an additive noise that is independent of the input. Here we show that entanglement between the input signal and the amplifying medium can produce exponentially-large decoherence in an ideal optical amplifier even when the gain is arbitrarily close to unity and the added noise is arbitrarily small. These nonlinear effects show that the usual input/output relationship of a 'linear' amplifier does not provide a complete description of its performance.

Related papers

Effects of entanglement in an ideal optical amplifier

J. D. Franson, R. A. Brewster

In an ideal linear amplifier, the output signal is linearly related to the input signal with an additive noise that is independent of the input. The decoherence of a quantum-mechanical state as a result of optical amplification is usually assumed to be due to the addition of quantum noise. Here we show that entanglement between the input signal and the amplifying medium can produce an exponentially-large amount of decoherence in an ideal optical amplifier even when the gain is arbitrarily close to unity and the added noise is negligible. These effects occur for macroscopic superposition states, where even a small amount of gain can leave a significant amount of which-path information in the environment. Our results show that the usual input/output relation of a linear amplifier does not provide a complete description of the output state when post-selection is used.

arXiv:1608.08821•Physics Letters A•Jan 31, 2018•11 citations

Effects of Entanglement in Optical Amplifiers

J. D. Franson, R. A. Brewster

Entanglement between the signal and the amplifying medium can produce a large amount of decoherence in an ideal optical amplifier even when the gain is arbitrarily close to unity and the added noise is negligible.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations

Entanglement and decoherence in optical amplifiers

J. D. Franson

An ideal optical amplifier is generally considered to be a linear device. We show that entanglement between the signal and idler modes can produce nonlinear behavior and decoherence even for small gains where the added noise is negligible.

IEEE/LEOS Summer Topical Meetings•Jul 1, 2017•0 citations

Quantum noise properties of a nonlinear amplifier

Roy S. Bondurant

We propose and analyze a nonlinear optical amplifier that is phase insensitive but has no additive noise. When the input field is in a coherent state, the noise figure is -6 dB when the gain is high. However, unlike conventional linear amplifiers with -3 dB noise figures, the detectibility of the amplified signal is not degraded. The amplifier is constructed simply, in principle, by the same type of nonlinear interferometer used in photon number quantum nondemolition measurements.

Physical Review Letters•Sep 13, 1993•4 citations

Quantum noise limits for a class of nonlinear amplifiers

Jeffrey M. Epstein, K. Birgitta Whaley, Joshua Combes

Nonlinear amplifiers, such as the transistor, are ubiquitous in classical technology. Little is understood about the noise properties and applications of quantum nonlinear amplifiers. We introduce a class of nonlinear amplifiers that allow one to measure any normal operator with a linear detector while adding a half-quantum of vacuum fluctuations as noise at the output. When these nonlinear amplifiers are used in conjunction with noisy linear detectors, the resulting measurement in the large gain limit becomes equivalent to ideal projective measurement of the normal operator.

APS March Meeting Abstracts•Jan 1, 2019•0 citations

Quantum noise limits on frequency and timing for optical pulses in a linear high-gain amplifier

Victor V. Kozlov

Frequency and timing noise added in a linear optical amplifier of gain G grows as (G-1)/G. Provided that the pulse is initially in a coherent state, the output frequency and timing noise cannot exceed twice the input value. It is also shown that, in a transmission line with zero net gain and loss, the frequency and timing noise added in the lossy medium is equal to or larger than the noise added in the amplifier.

Optics Letters•Oct 1, 2002•0 citations
In a linear amplifier, the output signal is linearly related to the input signal with an additive noise that is independent of the input. Here we show that entanglement between the input signal and the amplifying medium can produce exponentially-large decoherence in an ideal optical amplifier even when the gain is arbitrarily close to unity and the added noise is arbitrarily small. These nonlinear effects show that the usual input/output relationship of a 'linear' amplifier does not provide a complete description of its performance.
In an ideal linear amplifier, the output signal is linearly related to the input signal with an additive noise that is independent of the input. The decoherence of a quantum-mechanical state as a result of optical amplification is usually assumed to be due to the addition of quantum noise. Here we show that entanglement between the input signal and the amplifying medium can produce an exponentially-large amount of decoherence in an ideal optical amplifier even when the gain is arbitrarily close to unity and the added noise is negligible. These effects occur for macroscopic superposition states, where even a small amount of gain can leave a significant amount of which-path information in the environment. Our results show that the usual input/output relation of a linear amplifier does not provide a complete description of the output state when post-selection is used.
Nonlinear amplifiers, such as the transistor, are ubiquitous in classical technology. Little is understood about the noise properties and applications of quantum nonlinear amplifiers. We introduce a class of nonlinear amplifiers that allow one to measure any normal operator with a linear detector while adding a half-quantum of vacuum fluctuations as noise at the output. When these nonlinear amplifiers are used in conjunction with noisy linear detectors, the resulting measurement in the large gain limit becomes equivalent to ideal projective measurement of the normal operator.