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Energy-Time Entangled Qutrits: Bell Tests and Quantum Communication

Rob Thew, Sébastien Tanzilli, A. Acín, Hugo Zbinden, N. Gisin

Published Jan 1, 2004• 2 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Abstract. We have developed a scheme to generate, control, transmit and measure entangled photonic qutrits (two photons each of dimension d = 3). A Bell test of this source has previously been reported elsewhere [1], therefore, here we focus on how the control of the system is realized. Motivated by these results, we outline how the scheme can be used for two specific quantum protocols, namely key distribution and coin tossing and discuss some of their advantages and disadvantages. Performing quantum communication with high-dimensional systems would appear to be an obvious and straightforward extension to many of the qubit protocols that have driven quantum information science in recent years. There have been theoretical proposals for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) [2] with greater security [3] as well as specific proposals for qutrits such as quantum coin tossing [4]. Fundamentally, high-dimensional Bell inequalities have revealed greater violations of non-locality [5] while increasing the dimensions of the entangled systems has been shown to facilitate closing the detection loop-hole [6] for such tests. Optics has been able to provide a realistic test-bed for these proposals with several different schemes being realized for generating high-dimensional entanglement [7, 8] as well as the scheme presented here [1, 9]. This source of entangled qutrits is analogous to the energy-time qubit arrangement of Franson [10]. The experimental scheme has been developed for telecom wavelengths and with proven long distance quantum communication architecture [11, 12] to optimise the usefulness of this high dimensional entanglement resource. We have already performed

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Energy-Time Entangled Qutrits: Bell Tests and Quantum Communication

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We have developed a scheme to generate, control, transmit and measure entangled photonic qutrits (two photons each of dimension d = 3). A Bell test of this source has previously been reported elsewhere, therefore, here we focus on how the control of the system is realized. Motivated by these results, we outline how the scheme can be used for two specific quantum protocols, namely key distribution and coin tossing and discuss some of their advantages and disadvantages.

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Quantum entanglement is a fundamental resource for secure information processing and communications. The canonical optical quantum information processing encodes a single qubit per photon, with remarkable demonstrations of secure quantum communications, linear optical quantum computing amongst others. Often the polarization qubit, a discrete variable with entangled Bell states, is used. Continuous variables such as energy-time modes and spatial modes, however, present a dramatically larger Hilbert space for quantum information processing. The high-dimensional entanglement capture more qubits per photon, enabling dramatically higher secure key rates over longer distances and with better error resilience. Here I will describe our results on high-dimensional entanglement in quantum frequency combs for dense quantum communications. We first demonstrate revival of the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferences, long postulated by theorists more than a decade ago, up to 19-dimensions and with visibilities up to 96.5%. The mode-locked two-photon state in high-dimensions is further witnessed through a stabilized Franson interferometer, as a generalized Bell’s inequality test and hyperentangled through multiple degrees-of-freedom. Entanglement revivals of the non-local interference at discrete time-bins are uncovered, up to 97.8% visibility, as a fundamental resource for dense secure information processing.

Quantum Computing, Communication, and Simulation•Mar 14, 2018•0 citations
Abstract. We have developed a scheme to generate, control, transmit and measure entangled photonic qutrits (two photons each of dimension d = 3). A Bell test of this source has previously been reported elsewhere [1], therefore, here we focus on how the control of the system is realized. Motivated by these results, we outline how the scheme can be used for two specific quantum protocols, namely key distribution and coin tossing and discuss some of their advantages and disadvantages. Performing quantum communication with high-dimensional systems would appear to be an obvious and straightforward extension to many of the qubit protocols that have driven quantum information science in recent years. There have been theoretical proposals for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) [2] with greater security [3] as well as specific proposals for qutrits such as quantum coin tossing [4]. Fundamentally, high-dimensional Bell inequalities have revealed greater violations of non-locality [5] while increasing the dimensions of the entangled systems has been shown to facilitate closing the detection loop-hole [6] for such tests. Optics has been able to provide a realistic test-bed for these proposals with several different schemes being realized for generating high-dimensional entanglement [7, 8] as well as the scheme presented here [1, 9]. This source of entangled qutrits is analogous to the energy-time qubit arrangement of Franson [10]. The experimental scheme has been developed for telecom wavelengths and with proven long distance quantum communication architecture [11, 12] to optimise the usefulness of this high dimensional entanglement resource. We have already performed
We have experimentally realized a technique to generate, control and measure entangled qutrits, 3-dimensional quantum systems. This scheme uses spontaneous parametric down converted photons and unbalanced 3-arm fiber optic interferometers in a scheme analogous to the Franson interferometric arrangement for qubits. The results reveal a source capable of generating maximally entangled states with a net state fidelity, F = 0.985 ±\pm± 0.018. Further the control over the system reveals a high, net, 2-photon interference fringe visibility, V = 0.919 ±\pm± 0.026. This has all been done at telecom wavelengths thus facilitating the advancement towards long distance higher dimensional quantum communication.
We have performed a Bell-type test for energy-time entangled qutrits. A method of inferring the Bell violation in terms of an associated interference visibility is derived. Using this scheme we obtained a Bell value of $2.784\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.023$, representing a violation of $34\ensuremath{\sigma}$ above the limit for local variables. The scheme has been developed for use at telecom wavelengths and using proven long distance quantum communication architecture to optimize the utility of this high dimensional entanglement resource.
We introduce a new technique to experimentally generate, control and measure entangled qutrits, 3-dimensional quantum systems. This scheme uses spontaneous parametric down converted photons and unbalanced 3-arm fiber optic interferometers in a scheme analogous to the Franson interferometric arrangement for qubits. The results reveal a source capable of generating maximally entangled states with a net state fidelity, F = 0.985 pm\\pmpm 0.018. Further the control over the system reveals a high, net, 2-photon interference fringe visibility, V = 0.919 pm\\pmpm 0.026, when the two phases are varied. This has all been done at telecom wavelengths thus facilitating the advancement to long distance higher dimensional quantum communication.
Abstract High-dimensional quantum key distribution (QKD) based on entangled qudits has emerged as a promising route for advancing the performance and practicality of quantum communication. By extending beyond the qubit framework, qudit entanglement enables the encoding of multiple bits per particle and offers greater robustness against noise, loss, and eavesdropping. In this review, we present qudit-based entanglement QKD protocols and their experimental demonstrations. We first introduce the basic concepts of qudits and provide an overview of foundational qubit-based entanglement QKD schemes, such as Ekert '91 (E91) and Bennett–Brassard–Mermin '92 (BBM92), which establish the core principles of entanglement-based secure key generation. Subsequently, we examine the generalization of these protocols to entangled qudits, highlighting how higher dimensionality enhances secure key rates and noise tolerance. Finally, we survey experimental demonstrations of qudit-based entanglement QKD across photonic platforms and outline prospects, showing that high-dimensional entanglement can be reliably generated, distributed, and measured for QKD with high stability and scalability. Remarkably, these achievements not only verify the feasibility of practical high-dimensional QKD, but also demonstrate clear advantages over qubit-based systems. Overall, theoretical frameworks and experimental realizations reviewed here position photonic qudit-based entanglement QKD as a promising resource for scalable, high-speed, and secure quantum communication networks, unveiling its potential as a central component in the future of quantum information technologies.
Quantum entanglement is a fundamental resource for secure information processing and communications. The canonical optical quantum information processing encodes a single qubit per photon, with remarkable demonstrations of secure quantum communications, linear optical quantum computing amongst others. Often the polarization qubit, a discrete variable with entangled Bell states, is used. Continuous variables such as energy-time modes and spatial modes, however, present a dramatically larger Hilbert space for quantum information processing. The high-dimensional entanglement capture more qubits per photon, enabling dramatically higher secure key rates over longer distances and with better error resilience. Here I will describe our results on high-dimensional entanglement in quantum frequency combs for dense quantum communications. We first demonstrate revival of the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferences, long postulated by theorists more than a decade ago, up to 19-dimensions and with visibilities up to 96.5%. The mode-locked two-photon state in high-dimensions is further witnessed through a stabilized Franson interferometer, as a generalized Bell’s inequality test and hyperentangled through multiple degrees-of-freedom. Entanglement revivals of the non-local interference at discrete time-bins are uncovered, up to 97.8% visibility, as a fundamental resource for dense secure information processing.