Exploring quantum foundations with single photons

Martin Ringbauer

Martin Ringbauer

Teodor Strömberg

Chao‐Yang Lu

Artur Czerwiński, Xiang-Ji Cai, Saeed Haddadi

Abstract In this study, we investigate the effects of chromatic dispersion on single-photon temporal wave functions (TWFs) in the context of quantum communications. Departing from classical beam analysis, we focus on the temporal shape of single photons, specifically exploring generalized Gaussian modes. From this foundation, we introduce chirped and unchirped Gaussian TWFs, demonstrating the impact of the chirp parameter in mitigating chromatic dispersion effects. Furthermore, we extend our investigation to time-bin qubits, a topic of ongoing research relevance. By exploring the interplay of dispersion effects on qubit interference patterns, we contribute essential insights to quantum information processing. This comprehensive analysis considers various parameters, introducing a level of complexity not previously explored in the context of dispersion management. We demonstrate the relationships between different quantities and their impact on the spreading of TWFs. Our results not only deepen the theoretical understanding of single-photon TWFs but also offer practical guidelines for system designers to optimize symbol rates in quantum communications.

Minhaeng Cho, Peter W. Milonni

This paper presents a theoretical study of the enhancement of Zou-Wang-Mandel (ZWM) interferometry through cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) processes producing frequency-entangled biphotons. The ZWM interferometry shows the capability to generate interference effects between single signal photons via indistinguishability between the entangled idler photons. This paper extends the foundational principles of ZWM interferometry by integrating cavity-enhanced SPDCs, aiming to narrow photon bandwidths for improved coherence and photon pair generation efficiency, which is critical for applications in quantum information technologies, quantum encryption, and quantum imaging. This work explores the theoretical implication of employing singly resonant optical parametric oscillators within the ZWM interferometer to produce narrow-band single photons. By combining cavity-enhanced SPDCs with ZWM interferometry, this study fills a gap in current theoretical proposals, offering significant advancements in quantum cryptography and network applications that require reliable, narrow-band single photons.