Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Comprehensive interference characteristics of a three-parameter Hong–Ou–Mandel interferometer

Baihong Li, Zhuozhuo Wang, Qi-qi Li, Peng-long Wang, Changhua Chen, Boxin Yuan, Xiaofei Zhang

Published Nov 7, 2024• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We theoretically extend the original Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) interferometer to three parameters by concatenating 50:50 beam splitters with three independent and adjustable time delays. The coincidence probability of such an interferometer is obtained based on the linear transformation of the beam splitter matrix. We present a comprehensive analysis of the interference characteristics of the interferometer at different time delays with various types of frequency-correlated resources and input states. It is found that by properly setting the time delays, one can obtain typical interferograms that include multiple sub-interferograms associated with one- and two-parameter HOM interferometers, revealing richer and more complicated two-photon interference phenomena. In particular, additional enhancements of the interference signal at a specific delay can be achieved, and the symmetry of the interferograms on both sides can also be changed. This work provides comprehensive insights into the interference characteristics of the three-parameter HOM interferometer and enables the simultaneous optimal estimation of multiple time-delay parameters within a single interferometer, which holds potential for applications in multiparameter estimation and quantum metrology.

DOI
10.1364/josab.539402

Related papers

ON SELECTING OPTIMAL PARAMETERS FOR DELAY TIME MEASUREMENT USING THE HONG–OU–MANDEL EFFECT

Dmitry Kuts, Mikhail S. Podoshvedov, А. Г. Воронцов +2 more

The paper deals with the measurement error of the delay time between the arrivals at the beam splitter of two photons traveling through different channels in an optical system based on a HongOu-Mandel (HOM) interferometer. We consider the source of two-photon light to be the radiation of spontaneous parametric scattering (SPS) of light of the second type. The photon delay in one of the HOM interferometer channels can be induced by a change in the optical path length due to various factors: mechanical displacement of interferometer parts, changes in the refractive index of the medium caused by temperature variations, electric fields, etc. In the scheme, the outputs of the beam splitter are connected to single-photon detectors, which send signals to a coincidence counter upon photon detection. The coincidence counter data determine the delay time. The authors determine the absolute error in estimating the delay time in terms of the biphoton spectral width, the visibility, calculated from the maximum and minimum values of the coincidence counter signal, and the estimated delay time value itself. The derived expression facilitates finding the estimated delay time value. The study reveals that for a fixed biphoton field width, the delay time corresponding to the minimum absolute error value approaches the inflection point of the coincidence-time curve with decreasing visibility. This should be taken into account when designing measuring devices based on the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer.

Bulletin of the South Ural State University series Mathematics Mechanics Physics•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

Exclusive Hong-Ou-Mandel zero-coincidence point

Yu Yang, Luping Xu, Vittorio Giovannetti

A generalized multiparameter Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer is presented which extends the conventional ``Mandel dip'' configuration to the case where a symmetric biphoton source is used to monitor the contemporary absence of $k$ independent time delays. Our construction results in a two-input/two-output setup, obtained by concatenating 50:50 beam splitters with a collection of adjustable achromatic wave plates. For $k=1,2$ and $k=4$ explicit examples can be exhibited that prove the possibility of uniquely linking the zero value of the coincidence counts registered at the output of the interferometer with the contemporary absence of all the time delays. Interestingly enough the same result cannot be extended to $k=3$. Besides, the sensitivity of the interferometer is analyzed when the time delays are affected by strong fluctuations, i.e., the fluctuations over timescales that are larger than the inverse of the frequency of the pump used to generate the biphoton state.

arXiv:1907.12270•Physical Review A•Dec 4, 2019•7 citations

Parameter estimation of time and frequency shifts with generalized Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry

Nicolas Fabre, Simone Felicetti

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometers can detect time delays down to attoseconds using two-photon destructive interference. Here, the authors present a theoretical extension of HOM interferometry with various spectral distributions of the probe states, and find that periodic continuous-variable grid states can be engineered with currently-available technology that significantly outperform the resolution of time-frequency Gaussian states.

arXiv:2106.00653•Physical Review A•Aug 16, 2021•31 citations

Programmable Hong--Ou--Mandel interference in a giant-atom beam splitter

Ruolin Chai, Lei Du, Guoqing Cai +3 more

The Hong--Ou--Mandel (HOM) effect is a hallmark of two-photon quantum interference, in which two indistinguishable photons impinging on a balanced beam splitter bunch into the same output port. Here, we show that a giant atom (GA), coupled to two waveguides through two coupling points each, can function as a programmable HOM interferometer, enabling continuous control over single-photon beam splitting and two-photon interference. This programmability arises from coupling-phase differences in the GA, which tune its self-interference and directionality, and thereby its scattering response. To characterize the two-photon interference, we analyze the scattering of two Gaussian single-photon wave packets injected through different waveguides and evaluate the bunching and antibunching (coincidence) probabilities of the resulting four output ports. At the operating point where the GA acts as an effective 50:50 beam splitter for single photons, we observe a pronounced HOM dip as the relative input delay between the two wave packets is varied. Away from this point, adjusting the coupling phases continuously tunes the two-photon output statistics between bunching into the same output port and antibunching across distinct output ports. In addition, we explore an application to quantum parameter estimation, showing that small deviations of coupling phases can be estimated from the two-photon output statistics, with the achievable sensitivity quantified by the classical Fisher information associated with a binary coincidence measurement. Our giant-atom beam splitter thus provides a programmable platform for two-photon interference in waveguide quantum electrodynamics, with potential applications in quantum information processing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing.

quant-pharXiv:2609.18530•Sep 17, 2026•0 citations

A phase-unlocked Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer

Timothy M. Yarnall, Ayman F. Abouraddy, Giovanni Di Giuseppe

There exists a fundamental dimensional mismatch between the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometer and two-photon states: while the latter are represented using two temporal (or spectral) dimensions, the HOM interferometer allows access to only one temporal dimension owing to its single delay element. We introduce a linear two-photon interferometer containing two independent delays spanning the two-photon state. By unlocking the fixed phase relationship between the interfering two-photon probability amplitudes in a HOM interferometer, one of these probability amplitudes now serves as a delay-free two-photon reference against which the other beats, thereby resolving ambiguities in two-photon state identification typical of HOM interferometry. We discuss the operation of this phase-unlocked HOM on a variety of input states focusing on instances where this new interferometer outperforms a traditional HOM interferometer: frequency-correlated states and states produced by a pulse doublet pump. Additionally, this interferometer affords the opportunity to synchronize two-photon states in a manner analogous to an HOM interferometer; moreover, it extends that capability to the aforementioned class of states.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 28, 2013•4 citations

Hong-Ou-Mandel interference on a real beam splitter

Dmitry N. Makarov

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is known to be one of the main phenomena in quantum optics. The effect occurs when two identical single-photon waves enter a 1:1 beam splitter, one in each input port. When the photons are identical, they will extinguish each other. One of the main elements of the HOM interferometer is the beam splitter, which has its own coefficients of reflection $R = 1/2$ and transmission $ T = 1/2 $. In this work, the general mechanism of the interaction of two photons in a beam splitter is considered using an analytical solution, which shows that in the HOM theory of the effect it is necessary to know (including when planning the experiment) not only $ R = 1/2 $ and $ T = 1/2 $, but also their root-mean-square fluctuations $ ΔR ^ 2, ΔT ^ 2 $, which arise due to the dependence of $R = R(ω_1, ω_2) $ and $ T = T (ω_1, ω_2) $ on the frequencies where $ω_1, ω_2$ are the frequencies of the first and second photons, respectively. Under certain conditions, specifically when the dependence of the fluctuations $ ΔR^2 $ and $ ΔT^2 $ can be neglected and $ R=T=1/2 $ is chosen, the developed theory coincides with previously known results.

arXiv:2002.00443•Feb 2, 2020•0 citations
We theoretically extend the original Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) interferometer to three parameters by concatenating 50:50 beam splitters with three independent and adjustable time delays. The coincidence probability of such an interferometer is obtained based on the linear transformation of the beam splitter matrix. We present a comprehensive analysis of the interference characteristics of the interferometer at different time delays with various types of frequency-correlated resources and input states. It is found that by properly setting the time delays, one can obtain typical interferograms that include multiple sub-interferograms associated with one- and two-parameter HOM interferometers, revealing richer and more complicated two-photon interference phenomena. In particular, additional enhancements of the interference signal at a specific delay can be achieved, and the symmetry of the interferograms on both sides can also be changed. This work provides comprehensive insights into the interference characteristics of the three-parameter HOM interferometer and enables the simultaneous optimal estimation of multiple time-delay parameters within a single interferometer, which holds potential for applications in multiparameter estimation and quantum metrology.
The paper deals with the measurement error of the delay time between the arrivals at the beam splitter of two photons traveling through different channels in an optical system based on a HongOu-Mandel (HOM) interferometer. We consider the source of two-photon light to be the radiation of spontaneous parametric scattering (SPS) of light of the second type. The photon delay in one of the HOM interferometer channels can be induced by a change in the optical path length due to various factors: mechanical displacement of interferometer parts, changes in the refractive index of the medium caused by temperature variations, electric fields, etc. In the scheme, the outputs of the beam splitter are connected to single-photon detectors, which send signals to a coincidence counter upon photon detection. The coincidence counter data determine the delay time. The authors determine the absolute error in estimating the delay time in terms of the biphoton spectral width, the visibility, calculated from the maximum and minimum values of the coincidence counter signal, and the estimated delay time value itself. The derived expression facilitates finding the estimated delay time value. The study reveals that for a fixed biphoton field width, the delay time corresponding to the minimum absolute error value approaches the inflection point of the coincidence-time curve with decreasing visibility. This should be taken into account when designing measuring devices based on the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer.
A generalized multiparameter Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer is presented which extends the conventional ``Mandel dip'' configuration to the case where a symmetric biphoton source is used to monitor the contemporary absence of kkk independent time delays. Our construction results in a two-input/two-output setup, obtained by concatenating 50:50 beam splitters with a collection of adjustable achromatic wave plates. For k=1,2k=1,2k=1,2 and k=4k=4k=4 explicit examples can be exhibited that prove the possibility of uniquely linking the zero value of the coincidence counts registered at the output of the interferometer with the contemporary absence of all the time delays. Interestingly enough the same result cannot be extended to k=3k=3k=3. Besides, the sensitivity of the interferometer is analyzed when the time delays are affected by strong fluctuations, i.e., the fluctuations over timescales that are larger than the inverse of the frequency of the pump used to generate the biphoton state.
The Hong--Ou--Mandel (HOM) effect is a hallmark of two-photon quantum interference, in which two indistinguishable photons impinging on a balanced beam splitter bunch into the same output port. Here, we show that a giant atom (GA), coupled to two waveguides through two coupling points each, can function as a programmable HOM interferometer, enabling continuous control over single-photon beam splitting and two-photon interference. This programmability arises from coupling-phase differences in the GA, which tune its self-interference and directionality, and thereby its scattering response. To characterize the two-photon interference, we analyze the scattering of two Gaussian single-photon wave packets injected through different waveguides and evaluate the bunching and antibunching (coincidence) probabilities of the resulting four output ports. At the operating point where the GA acts as an effective 50:50 beam splitter for single photons, we observe a pronounced HOM dip as the relative input delay between the two wave packets is varied. Away from this point, adjusting the coupling phases continuously tunes the two-photon output statistics between bunching into the same output port and antibunching across distinct output ports. In addition, we explore an application to quantum parameter estimation, showing that small deviations of coupling phases can be estimated from the two-photon output statistics, with the achievable sensitivity quantified by the classical Fisher information associated with a binary coincidence measurement. Our giant-atom beam splitter thus provides a programmable platform for two-photon interference in waveguide quantum electrodynamics, with potential applications in quantum information processing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing.
There exists a fundamental dimensional mismatch between the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometer and two-photon states: while the latter are represented using two temporal (or spectral) dimensions, the HOM interferometer allows access to only one temporal dimension owing to its single delay element. We introduce a linear two-photon interferometer containing two independent delays spanning the two-photon state. By unlocking the fixed phase relationship between the interfering two-photon probability amplitudes in a HOM interferometer, one of these probability amplitudes now serves as a delay-free two-photon reference against which the other beats, thereby resolving ambiguities in two-photon state identification typical of HOM interferometry. We discuss the operation of this phase-unlocked HOM on a variety of input states focusing on instances where this new interferometer outperforms a traditional HOM interferometer: frequency-correlated states and states produced by a pulse doublet pump. Additionally, this interferometer affords the opportunity to synchronize two-photon states in a manner analogous to an HOM interferometer; moreover, it extends that capability to the aforementioned class of states.
Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is known to be one of the main phenomena in quantum optics. The effect occurs when two identical single-photon waves enter a 1:1 beam splitter, one in each input port. When the photons are identical, they will extinguish each other. One of the main elements of the HOM interferometer is the beam splitter, which has its own coefficients of reflection R=1/2R = 1/2R=1/2 and transmission $ T = 1/2 $. In this work, the general mechanism of the interaction of two photons in a beam splitter is considered using an analytical solution, which shows that in the HOM theory of the effect it is necessary to know (including when planning the experiment) not only $ R = 1/2 $ and $ T = 1/2 $, but also their root-mean-square fluctuations $ ΔR ^ 2, ΔT ^ 2 $, which arise due to the dependence of $R = R(ω_1, ω_2) $ and $ T = T (ω_1, ω_2) $ on the frequencies where ω1,ω2ω_1, ω_2ω1​,ω2​ are the frequencies of the first and second photons, respectively. Under certain conditions, specifically when the dependence of the fluctuations $ ΔR^2 $ and $ ΔT^2 $ can be neglected and $ R=T=1/2 $ is chosen, the developed theory coincides with previously known results.