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Education and Training in Optics and Photonics

Quantum optics laboratories with motorized components

Enrique J. Galvez

Published Jun 28, 2023• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum optics laboratories are emerging as suitable educational platforms to complement quantum mechanics instruction and expose students to non-traditional demonstrations of quantum physics involving quantum superposition and measurement. The automation of these experiments offers an interesting alternative paradigm. In this contribution, I present the automation of laboratory experiments through motorized mounts that displace or rotate optical components, enabling remote execution of the experiments. Some additional benefits include improved repeatability and better preparation of photonic quantum states.

DOI
10.1117/12.2669194

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Quantum optics laboratories are emerging as suitable educational platforms to complement quantum mechanics instruction and expose students to non-traditional demonstrations of quantum physics involving quantum superposition and measurement. The automation of these experiments offers an interesting alternative paradigm. In this contribution, I present the automation of laboratory experiments through motorized mounts that displace or rotate optical components, enabling remote execution of the experiments. Some additional benefits include improved repeatability and better preparation of photonic quantum states.
Abstract The rise of quantum information as a viable technology requires appropriate instructional curricula for preparing a future workforce. Key concepts that are the basis of quantum information involve fundamentals of quantum mechanics, such as superposition, entanglement and measurement. To complement modern initiatives to teach quantum physics to the emerging workforce, lab experiences are needed. We have developed a curriculum of quantum optics experiments to teach quantum mechanics fundamentals and quantum algebra. These laboratories provide hands-on experimentation of optical components on a table-top. We have also created curricular materials, manuals, tutorials, parts and price lists for instructors. Automation of the apparatus offers the flexibility of using the apparatus remotely and for giving access to a greater number of students with a single setup.
With the coming of quantum information and associated technologies, there is increasing need to prepare students on the fundamentals of quantum physics. Fundamental physical principles can be hidden by the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. Thus it is necessary to expose students to experiments that illustrate fundamentals. Quantum optics experiments based on the generation of twin photons via spontaneous parametric down-conversion have many advantages, such as being simple, reliable, and of reasonable cost. These types of experiments are ideal for the advanced laboratory in the physics curriculum. At Colgate University we offer them as a laboratory package that is associated with our upper-level undergraduate course on quantum mechanics. In this article we present our latest approaches. Among them is a new layout for the experiments to provide a more intuitive physical picture.
In this paper, it is described the development in the LabVIEW plataform together with the programming context ofMATLAB for the control and automation of quantum optics experiments. The developed program allows the communication of the different involved devices: SPCM (Single Photon Counters Modules) photon detectors; TDC (time todigital converter) converter ID900 from ID Quantique with 10 ps of resolution and the motorized rotators PRM1Z8(Motorized Rotation Stage from Thorlabs). The implemented system, allows to work optimally during the laboratory experiments that must be performed under darkness condition, this avoids manipulation errors during the measurement process.
We present a web-based software tool, the Virtual Quantum Optics Laboratory (VQOL), that may be used for designing and executing realistic simulations of quantum optics experiments. A graphical user interface allows one to rapidly build and configure a variety of different optical experiments, while the runtime environment provides unique capabilities for visualization and analysis. All standard linear optical components are available as well as sources of thermal, coherent, and entangled Gaussian states. A unique aspect of VQOL is the introduction of non-Gaussian measurements using detectors modeled as deterministic devices that "click" when the amplitude of the light falls above a given threshold. We describe the underlying theoretical models and provide some illustrative examples. We find that VQOL provides a faithful representation of many experimental quantum optics phenomena and may serve as both a useful instructional tool for students as well as a valuable research tool for practitioners.
We have developed a series of undergraduate teaching laboratories that explore some of the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. All of the experiments involve performing measurements on individual photons or entangled-photon pairs. The experiments include: "Proving" that light consists of photons, single-photon interference, and tests of local realism. We will describe the experiments, placing an emphasis on an experiment which measures the quantum-mechanical polarization state of a photon. This experiment explicitly demonstrates that measurements performed on one member of an entangled-photon pair effect the results of measurements of the other photon. We will also describe how we have integrated the experiments with our upper-level undergraduate quantum mechanics course.
Teaching key concepts in quantum information science and technology benefits from hands-on activities that can engage students at all levels, especially high-school and undergraduate students. In this paper, we report on an educational kit for student exploration of quantum key distribution (QKD) via optical analogies that provides an affordable and highly interactive role-playing experience for students with minimal abstraction and direct connections to applications, key quantum concepts like superposition and measurement uncertainty, and student's pre-existing knowledge like light polarization. Manual and automated versions of the kit are detailed, as well as feedback from workshops with high-school students, undergraduates, and educators.