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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Multiparticle distinguishability: three photons are different in four ways

Adrian J. Menssen, Alex E. Jones, Malte C. Tichy, Benjamin J. Metcalf, Stefanie Barz, W. Steven Kolthammer, Ian A. Walmsley

Published Jan 1, 2017• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum interference of two independent photons in pure quantum states is fully described by the particles' distinguishability: the closer the particles are to being identical, the higher the degree of quantum interference. When more than two particles are involved, the situation becomes more complex and interference capability extends beyond pairwise distinguishability. Here, we study many-particle interference using three photons. We show that the three distinct distinguishabilities between pairs of photons are not sufficient to fully describe the photons' behaviour in a scattering process, but that additionally a fourth parameter, a collective phase, governs the scattering process. We use heralded single photons and a fibre-optic tritter to explore this full parameter space for the first time and thereby demonstrate genuine three-photon interference. Further, our work challenges the view that using time delays between identical photons alone suffices to fully study multi-photon interference.

DOI
10.1364/cleo_qels.2017.ftu1f.3

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Quantum interference of two independent photons in pure quantum states is fully described by the particles' distinguishability: the closer the particles are to being identical, the higher the degree of quantum interference. When more than two particles are involved, the situation becomes more complex and interference capability extends beyond pairwise distinguishability. Here, we study many-particle interference using three photons. We show that the three distinct distinguishabilities between pairs of photons are not sufficient to fully describe the photons' behaviour in a scattering process, but that additionally a fourth parameter, a collective phase, governs the scattering process. We use heralded single photons and a fibre-optic tritter to explore this full parameter space for the first time and thereby demonstrate genuine three-photon interference. Further, our work challenges the view that using time delays between identical photons alone suffices to fully study multi-photon interference.
Quantum interference of two independent particles in pure quantum states is fully described by the particles' distinguishability: the closer the particles are to being identical, the higher the degree of quantum interference. When more than two particles are involved, the situation becomes more complex and interference capability extends beyond pairwise distinguishability, taking on a surprisingly rich character. Here, we study many-particle interference using three photons. We show that the distinguishability between pairs of photons is not sufficient to fully describe the photons' behavior in a scattering process, but that a collective phase, the triad phase, plays a role. We are able to explore the full parameter space of three-photon interference by generating heralded single photons and interfering them in a fiber tritter. Using multiple degrees of freedom-temporal delays and polarization-we isolate three-photon interference from two-photon interference. Our experiment disproves the view that pairwise two-photon distinguishability uniquely determines the degree of nonclassical many-particle interference.
Quantum interference constitutes one of the sharpest divides between our classical intuition and the weirdness of the quantum world. Whenever there are multiple paths leading to the same outcome, it is the interplay of associated probability amplitudes that determines measurement results. In the double slit experiment, wave-like interference governs the distribution of particles on a detection screen. Extending to multiple particles allows behaviour that cannot be described by a classical wave, such as the bunching of photon pairs in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. In both these examples, the ability to distinguish the interfering paths leads to degradation of interference and a return to behaviour described by probabilities. Understanding how this transition evolves for larger multiparticle quantum systems is of fundamental interest and also vital for developing photonic quantum technologies that rely on many-photon interference. In this thesis we investigate the role of distinguishability in the interference of three and four independent photons by using polarisation and time delays. For three photons, a new type of collective distinguishing phase appears that goes beyond a pairwise description of the similarity of quantum states. We use nonlinear photon sources and a fibre interferometer to experimentally demonstrate the ability to tune and isolate this phase in interference statistics. Extending to four photons we show that, contrary to intuition from two-photon experiments, the interference of photons prepared in distinguishable states is possible due to a four-particle phase. This is confirmed experimentally using a bulk four-mode interferometer. We then extend our study to include the effects of state impurity in the interference of three photons. New properties of this interference enable diagnosis of realistic experimental imperfections and characterisation tasks impossible using only two photons. Finally, we link discussions of state distinguishability to the group representations underpinning the exchange symmetry of multiparticle wavefunctions.
We study the impact of distinguishability and mixedness, two fundamental properties of quantum states, on quantum interference. We show that these can influence the interference of multiple particles in different ways, leading to effects that cannot be observed in the interference of two particles alone. This is demonstrated experimentally by interfering three independent photons in pure and mixed states and observing their different multiphoton interference, despite exhibiting the same two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. In addition to its fundamental relevance, our observation has important implications for quantum technologies relying on photon interference.
One of the central principles of quantum mechanics is that if there are multiple paths that lead to the same event and there is no way to distinguish between them, interference occurs. It is often assumed that distinguishing information in the preparation, evolution, or measurement of a system is sufficient to destroy interference. However, it is still possible for photons in distinguishable, separable states to interfere due to the indistinguishability of paths corresponding to possible exchange processes. Here we experimentally measure an interference signal that depends only on the multiparticle interference of four photons in a four-port interferometer despite pairs of them occupying distinguishable states.
In this work I demonstrate the interference of three photons, a generalisation of the famous Hong Ou Mandel (HOM) interference. I show that three-photon interference is governed by four parameters and measure three-photon interference independent of two-photon interference. I demonstrate that even when the states of the photons are highly distinguishable they can still exhibit strong quantum interference, challenging our intuition formed by the double slit and HOM interference. This is followed by a demonstration of four-photon interference, where surprisingly we can still observe a "fringe" when the involved particles are pairwise orthogonal. To explain these effects, I present a new framework to describe multi-photon interference in terms of a graph-theoretical approach, which illustrates the origin of different orders of multi-photon interference. My work leads to a more general definition of what we regard as an interference fringe in multi-photon scattering. This study of multi-photon interference is followed by an interdisciplinary work between photonics and solid state physics in the newly developing field of topological photonics. I realise a simulation of the Jackiw-Rossi model as a localised topological mode in a photonic-crystal analogue of the 2D graphene lattice. I succeed in the experimental demonstration of a single such excitation and I am able to study the detailed mode structure for the first time. The mode is a result of a topological defect and is, as such, protected against errors that do not change the topology of the system.
Abstract Quantum interference is known to become extinct with distinguishing information, as illustrated by the ubiquitous double-slit experiment or the two-photon Hong–Ou–Mandel effect. In the former case single particle interference is destroyed with which-path information while in the latter bunching interference tails-off as photons become distinguishable. It has been observed that when more than two particles are involved, these interference patterns are in general a non-monotonic function of the distinguishability. Here we perform a comprehensive characterization, both theoretically and experimentally, of four-photon interference by analyzing the corresponding correlation functions, contemplating several degrees of distinguishability across different parameters. This study provides all the necessary tools to quantify the impact of multi-photon interference on precision measurements of parameters such as phase, frequency, and time difference. We apply these insights to quantify the precision in the estimation of an interferometric phase in a two-port interferometer using a four-photon state. Our results reveal that, for certain phase values, partially distinguishable multi-photon states can achieve higher Fisher information values compared to the two-photon experiment. These findings highlight the potential of distinguishable multi-photon states for enhanced precision in quantum metrology and related applications.