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SPIE Quantum Technologies

Experimental demonstration of time measurement precision limitations in Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry

Othmane Meskine, Éloi Descamps, Arne Keller, Aristide Lemaître, F. Baboux, S. Ducci, P. Milman

Published Jun 10, 2024• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

In quantum mechanics, the precision achieved in parameter estimation using a quantum state as a probe is determined by the measurement strategy employed. The quantum precision limit, a fundamental boundary, is defined by the intrinsic characteristics of the state and its dynamics. Theoretical results have revealed that in interference measurements with two possible outcomes, like the Hong Ou-Mandel interference, this limit can be reached under ideal conditions of perfect visibility and zero losses. However, in practice, this cannot be achieved, so precision never reaches the quantum limit. But how do experimental setups approach precision limits under realistic circumstances? In this work, we provide a general model for precision limits in two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry for non-perfect visibility and validate it experimentally using different quantum states. A remarkable ratio of 0.97 between the experimental precision and the quantum limit is observed, establishing a new benchmark in the field.

DOI
10.1117/12.3016791

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In quantum mechanics, the precision achieved in parameter estimation using a quantum state as a probe is determined by the measurement strategy employed. The quantum precision limit, a fundamental boundary, is defined by the intrinsic characteristics of the state and its dynamics. Theoretical results have revealed that in interference measurements with two possible outcomes, like the Hong Ou-Mandel interference, this limit can be reached under ideal conditions of perfect visibility and zero losses. However, in practice, this cannot be achieved, so precision never reaches the quantum limit. But how do experimental setups approach precision limits under realistic circumstances? In this work, we provide a general model for precision limits in two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry for non-perfect visibility and validate it experimentally using different quantum states. A remarkable ratio of 0.97 between the experimental precision and the quantum limit is observed, establishing a new benchmark in the field.
In quantum mechanics, the precision achieved in parameter estimation using a quantum state as a probe is determined by the measurement strategy employed. The quantum limit of precision is bounded by a value set by the state and its dynamics. Theoretical results have revealed that in interference measurements with two possible outcomes, this limit can be reached under ideal conditions of perfect visibility and zero losses. However, in practice, these conditions cannot be achieved, so precision never reaches the quantum limit. But how do experimental setups approach precision limits under realistic circumstances? In this Letter, we provide a model for precision limits in two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry using coincidence statistics for nonperfect visibility and temporally unresolved measurements. We show that the scaling of precision with visibility depends on the effective area in time-frequency phase space occupied by the state used as a probe, and we find that an optimal scaling exists. We demonstrate our results experimentally for different states in a setup where the visibility can be controlled and reaches up to 99.5%. In the optimal scenario, a ratio of 0.97 is observed between the experimental precision and the quantum limit, establishing a new benchmark in the field.
We examine the precision limits of Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) timing measurements, as well as precision limits applying to generalized two-photon measurements. As a special case we consider the use of two-photon measurements using photons with variable bandwidths and frequency correlations. When the photon bandwidths are not equal, maximizing the measurement precision involves a tradeoff between high interference visibility and strong frequency anticorrelations, with the optimal precision occurring when the photons share nonmaximal frequency anticorrelations. We show that a generalized measurement has precision limits that are qualitatively similar to those of the HOM measurement whenever the generalized measurement is insensitive to the net delay of both photons. By examining the performance of states with more general frequency distributions, our analysis allows for engineering of the joint spectral amplitude for use in realistic situations, in which both photons may not have ideal spectral properties.
Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry takes advantage of the quantum nature of two-photon interference to increase the resolution of precision measurements of time delays. Relying on few-photon probe states, this approach is applicable also in cases of extremely sensible samples and it achieves attosecond-scale resolution, which is relevant to cell biology and two-dimensional materials. Here, we theoretically analyze how the precision of Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometers can be significantly improved by engineering the spectral distribution of two-photon probe states. In particular, we assess the metrological power of different classes of biphoton states with non-Gaussian time-frequency spectral distributions, considering the estimation of both time and frequency shifts. We find that grid states, characterized by a periodic structure of peaks in the chronocyclic Wigner function, can outperform standard biphoton states in sensing applications [1].
Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry takes advantage of the quantum nature of two-photon interference to increase the resolution of precision measurements of time-delays. Relying on few-photon probe states, this approach is applicable also in cases of extremely sensible samples and it achieves attosecond (nanometer path length) scale resolution, which is relevant to cell biology and two-dimensional materials. Here, we theoretically analyze how the precision of Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometers can be significantly improved by engineering the spectral distribution of two-photon probe states. In particular, we assess the metrological power of different classes of biphoton states with non-Gaussian time-frequency spectral distributions, considering the estimation of both time-and frequency-shifts. We find that grid states, characterized by a periodic structure of peaks in the chronocyclic Wigner function, can outperform standard biphoton states in sensing applications. The considered states can be feasibly produced with atomic photon sources, bulk non-linear crystals and integrated photonic waveguide devices.