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arXiv:quant-ph/0312048 · Physical Review Letters

Measuring a Photonic Qubit without Destroying It

Geoff J. Pryde, Jeremy L. O’Brien, Andrew G. White, Stephen D. Bartlett, Timothy C. Ralph

Published May 12, 2004• 127 citations
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Abstract

Measuring the polarization of a single photon typically results in its destruction. We propose, demonstrate, and completely characterize a quantum nondemolition (QND) scheme for realizing such a measurement nondestructively. This scheme uses only linear optics and photodetection of ancillary modes to induce a strong nonlinearity at the single-photon level, nondeterministically. We vary this QND measurement continuously into the weak regime and use it to perform a nondestructive test of complementarity in quantum mechanics. Our scheme realizes the most advanced general measurement of a qubit to date: it is nondestructive, can be made in any basis, and with arbitrary strength.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.92.190402

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Reply to "Comment on 'Measuring a Photonic Qubit without Destroying It'"

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In our Letter we proposed a scheme for nondeterministic quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement of the polarization of a single photon--a photonic qubit--using linear optics and photodetection. The scheme works with nonunit probability, but success is heralded by the detection of a single photon in the meter output. We provided an experimental demonstration of this scheme and introduced three universally applicable fidelity measures--the measurement fidelity F_M, the quantum state preparation fidelity F_QSP, and the QND fidelity F_QND--to quantify its performance. The claim of Kok and Munro in their Comment [quant-ph/0406120] is that one of our fidelity measures F_M is not appropriate because it relies on coincidence measurements. We show why this claim is wrong from both a fundamental and an operational perspective.

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•Mar 30, 2006•2 citations
Measuring the polarization of a single photon typically results in its destruction. We propose, demonstrate, and completely characterize a quantum nondemolition (QND) scheme for realizing such a measurement nondestructively. This scheme uses only linear optics and photodetection of ancillary modes to induce a strong nonlinearity at the single-photon level, nondeterministically. We vary this QND measurement continuously into the weak regime and use it to perform a nondestructive test of complementarity in quantum mechanics. Our scheme realizes the most advanced general measurement of a qubit to date: it is nondestructive, can be made in any basis, and with arbitrary strength.
In our Letter we proposed a scheme for nondeterministic quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement of the polarization of a single photon--a photonic qubit--using linear optics and photodetection. The scheme works with nonunit probability, but success is heralded by the detection of a single photon in the meter output. We provided an experimental demonstration of this scheme and introduced three universally applicable fidelity measures--the measurement fidelity F_M, the quantum state preparation fidelity F_QSP, and the QND fidelity F_QND--to quantify its performance. The claim of Kok and Munro in their Comment [quant-ph/0406120] is that one of our fidelity measures F_M is not appropriate because it relies on coincidence measurements. We show why this claim is wrong from both a fundamental and an operational perspective.
A polarization preserving quantum nondemolition photodetector is proposed based on nonlinearities obtainable through quantum coherence effects. An atomic level scheme is devised such that in the presence of strong linearly polarized drive field a coherent weak probe field acquires a phase proportional to the number of photons in the signal mode immaterial of its polarization state. It is also shown that the unavoidable phase-kicks resulting due to the measurement process are insensitive to the polarization state of the incoming signal photon. It is envisioned that such a device would have tremendous applicability in photonic quantum information proposals where quantum information in the polarization qubit is to be protected.
A polarization preserving quantum nondemolition photodetector is proposed based on nonlinearities obtainable through quantum coherence effects. An atomic level scheme is devised such that in the presence of strong linearly polarized drive field a coherent weak probe field acquires a phase proportional to the number of photons in the signal mode immaterial of its polarization state. It is also shown that the unavoidable phase-kicks resulting due to the measurement process are insensitive to the polarization state of the incoming signal photon. It is envisioned that such a device would have tremendous applicability in photonic quantum information proposals where quantum information in the polarization qubit is to be protected.