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Physical Review A

Model for optimizing the visibility of time-bin entanglement

Zhen-Qiu Zhong, Xiao-Hai Zhan, Shuang Wang, Zhen−Qiang Yin, De‐Yong He, Wei Chen, Guang‐Can Guo, Zheng‐Fu Han

Published Oct 15, 2024• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Time-bin entanglement is a critical resource in quantum information science owing to its exceptional robustness over long-distance channels. Achieving high quantum interference visibility is indispensable for fundamental research and practical applications. To date, a model that can accurately describe time-bin entanglement-based two-photon interference remains to be established. In this work, we analyze the underlying mechanisms for this type of interference and develop an effective model for experimentally optimizing the quantum interference visibility. We use this model to analyze the factors contributing to the decline in interference visibility and offer strategies to address these issues, and we also demonstrate its effectiveness through experiments. Our model can serve as a tool for time-bin entanglement-based systems, aiding in system design, the evaluation of expected outcomes, and the optimization of experimental setups.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.110.042414

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Time-bin entanglement is a critical resource in quantum information science owing to its exceptional robustness over long-distance channels. Achieving high quantum interference visibility is indispensable for fundamental research and practical applications. To date, a model that can accurately describe time-bin entanglement-based two-photon interference remains to be established. In this work, we analyze the underlying mechanisms for this type of interference and develop an effective model for experimentally optimizing the quantum interference visibility. We use this model to analyze the factors contributing to the decline in interference visibility and offer strategies to address these issues, and we also demonstrate its effectiveness through experiments. Our model can serve as a tool for time-bin entanglement-based systems, aiding in system design, the evaluation of expected outcomes, and the optimization of experimental setups.
Quantum states encoded in the time-bin degree of freedom of photons represent a fundamental resource for quantum information protocols. Traditional methods for generating and measuring time-bin-encoded quantum states face severe challenges due to optical instabilities, complex setups, and timing resolution requirements. To circumvent these issues, we leverage an approach based on Hong-Ou-Mandel interference and we propose and demonstrate a robust and scalable protocol to generate and measure arbitrary high-dimensional time-bin quantum states. We experimentally implement the protocol in a photonic setup reaching high-fidelity quantum state tomographies of two- and three-dimensional quantum states encoded in time bins with short temporal separation. We also certify intrasystem polarization-time entanglement of single photons through a nonclassicality test. The demonstrated approach enables access to high-dimensional states and tasks that are practically inaccessible with standard schemes, thereby advancing fundamental quantum information science and opening applications in quantum communication.
Time-bin encoded photonic qubits are robust against decoherence in birefringent media such as optical fibers, which has led to many successful quantum communication demonstrations, including a Mach-Zehnder interferometer-based system, plug-and-play quantum key distribution (QKD), differential phase shift (DPS) and coherent one-way (COW) protocols, quantum teleportation, and elements of quantum repeaters. Despite these successes, time-bin encoding is considered impractical for turbulent free-space or multimode fiber channels, because spatial and temporal mode distortions hinder the interference required for analysis of time-bin superposition states. Here we present an efficient time-bin qubit analyzer, assisted by passive relay optics, that matches the spatial mode of the interfering paths. Our system demonstrates interference visibility of 89 %, even for strongly distorted optical input modes emerging from multimode fiber under variable angles of incidence. We measure a high level of entanglement between a time-bin qubit and a separate polarization qubit, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of time-bin based quantum communication over optical multimodal links.
Entangled photon pairs based on silicon straight waveguides have been applied in the area of quantum information owing to the compactness of the devices and high nonlinearity of the silicon material. In order to fully take advantage of the broad emission spectrum of photon pairs for quantum-key-distribution, dense wavelength division multiplexer (DWDM) is often required. However, the relationship between the channel bandwidth of DWDM and the two-photon interference visibility remains unambiguous, in which the high visibility of quantum interference fundamentally reduces quantum bit error rate in quantum-key-distribution system. In this paper, time-bin entangled photon pairs with a raw visibility of 94.3% ± 3.3% are generated in a silicon chip with a channel bandwidth of 0.1 nm, showing a violation of Bell’s inequality by more than three standard deviations, and a fidelity of 0.942 ± 0.02 is obtained by quantum state tomography. Applying variable channel bandwidths, the corresponding two-photon interference visibilities are measured, fitting well with the theoretical model incorporating multiple parameters such as optical loss, dark count probability, and averaged photon-pair number in DWDM channel.
Quantum entanglement, a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics, holds immense potential for secure communication and advanced computation. However, the practical challenges associated with maintaining and manipulating entangled states, particularly over long distances, remain significant. This paper explores the potential of quantum entanglement transmission optimization, focusing on leveraging quantum mechanics to enhance the fidelity and efficiency of entangled state creation and transfer. We investigate a novel approach utilizing a quantum-enhanced model to guide the quantum process, aiming to minimize decoherence and maximize entanglement generation. The core claim is that by optimizing the entanglement creation and transfer process using this quantum model, we can substantially improve transmission efficiency and security. The study details the proposed model and its impact on the observed entanglement properties.