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

arXiv:quant-ph/0609004 · New Journal of Physics

Spectral structure and decompositions of optical states, and their applications

Peter P. Rohde, Wolfgang Mauerer, Christine Silberhorn

Published Apr 12, 2007• 108 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We discuss the spectral structure and decomposition of multi-photon states. Ordinarily `multi-photon states' and `Fock states' are regarded as synonymous. However, when the spectral degrees of freedom are included this is not the case, and the class of `multi-photon' states is much broader than the class of `Fock' states. We discuss the criteria for a state to be considered a Fock state. We then address the decomposition of general multi-photon states into bases of orthogonal eigenmodes, building on existing multi-mode theory, and introduce an occupation number representation that provides an elegant description of such states that in many situations simplifies calculations. Finally we apply this technique to several example situations, which are highly relevant for state of the art experiments. These include Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, spectral filtering, finite bandwidth photo-detection, homodyne detection and the conditional preparation of Schrödinger Kitten and Fock states. Our techniques allow for very simple descriptions of each of these examples.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/9/4/091

Related papers

Multi-photon filtering

Hongting Song, Guofeng Zhang, Zairong Xi

The purpose of this paper is to derive filters for an arbitrary open quantum system driven by a light wavepacket prepared in a continuous-mode multi-photon state. A continuous-mode multi-photon state is a state of a travelling light wavepacket that contains a definite number of photons and is characterised by a temporal (or equivalently spectral) profile. After the interaction with the system, the outgoing light can be monitored by means of homodyne detection or photodetection. Filters for both measurement schemes are derived in this paper. Unlike the vacuum or the coherent state case, the annihilation operator of the light field acting on a multi-photon state changes the state by annihilating a photon, and this makes the traditional filtering techniques inapplicable. To circumvent this difficulty, we adopt a non-Markovian embedding technique proposed in \cite{gough:2013} for the study of the single-photon filtering problem. However, the multi-photon nature of the problem addressed in this paper makes the study much more mathematically involved. Moreover, as demonstrated by an example --- a two-level system driven by a continuous-mode two-photon state, multi-photon filters can reveal interesting strong nonlinear optical phenomena absent in both the single-photon state case and the continuous-mode Fock state case.

•Jul 28, 2013•1 citation

Continuous-Mode MultiPhoton Filtering

H. T. Song, Guofeng Zhang, Zhihua Xi

The purpose of this paper is to derive filters for an arbitrary open quantum system driven by a light wave packet prepared in a continuous-mode multiphoton state. A continuous-mode multiphoton state is a state of a traveling light wave packet that contains a definite number of photons and is characterized by a temporal (or, equivalently, spectral) profile. After the interaction with the system, the outgoing light can be monitored by means of homodyne detection or photodetection. Filters for both measurement schemes are derived in this paper. Unlike the vacuum or the coherent state case, the annihilation operator of the light field acting on a multiphoton state changes the state by annihilating a photon, and this makes the traditional filtering techniques inapplicable. To circumvent this difficulty, we adopt a non-Markovian embedding technique proposed in [J. E. Gough, M. R. James, and H. I. Nurdin, Quantum Inf. Process., 12 (2013), pp. 1469--1499] for the study of the single-photon filtering problem. However, the multiphoton nature of the problem addressed in this paper makes the study much more mathematically involved. Moreover, as demonstrated by an example---a two-level system driven by a continuous-mode two-photon state---multiphoton filters can reveal interesting strong nonlinear optical phenomena absent in both the single-photon state case and the continuous-mode Fock state case.

arXiv:1307.7367•SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization•Jan 1, 2016•36 citations

Modes and states in quantum optics

Claude Fabre, Nicolas Treps

Quantum states of light are at the same time endowed with two superposition principles: the one of the classical Maxwell waves and the one of the quantum states occupying these waves. This article reviews the interplay between these two aspects of quantum optics. A summary of the description of multimode quantum states is presented along with an example of the characterization of correlations and entanglement with applications in metrology and quantum computation.

arXiv:1912.09321•Reviews of Modern Physics•Sep 10, 2020•312 citations

A general framework for multimode Gaussian quantum optics and photo-detection: Application to Hong–Ou–Mandel interference with filtered heralded single photon sources

O. Thomas, Will McCutcheon, Dara P. S. McCutcheon

The challenging requirements of large scale quantum information processing using parametric heralded single photon sources involve maximizing the interference visibility while maintaining an acceptable photon generation rate. By developing a general theoretical framework that allows us to include a large number of spatial and spectral modes together with linear and non-linear optical elements, we investigate the combined effects of spectral and photon number impurity on the measured Hong–Ou–Mandel interference visibility of parametric photon sources, considering both threshold and number resolving detectors, together with the effects of spectral filtering. We find that for any degree of spectral impurity, increasing the photon generation rate necessarily decreases the interference visibility, even when using number resolving detection. While tight spectral filtering can be used to enforce spectral purity and increased interference visibility at low powers, we find that the induced photon number impurity results in a decreasing interference visibility and heralding efficiency with pump power, while the maximum generation rate is also reduced.

arXiv:2012.05991•APL Photonics•Apr 1, 2021•14 citations

QUANTUM OPTICS, FROM ONE MODE TO MANY MODES

Claude Fabre

These lectures form a general introduction to the domain of Quantum Optics, with a special emphasis on the notion of field eigenmodes that are necessary to describe the quantum effects in light and define the photons: possibility of changing the basis of field eigenmodes and choosing the most appropriate one, definition of intrinsic properties, independent of the choice of basis. Are successively studied the single mode quantum effects, the quantum correlations existing in bimodal systems, and some interesting features of highly multimode systems such as the optical images.

•Jan 1, 2008•3 citations

Role of indistinguishability and entanglement in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference and finite-bandwidth effects of frequency-entangled photons

Roy Barzel, Cláus Lämmerzahl

We investigate the relation between indistinguishability and quantum entanglement in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference experiments theoretically and relate these quantum mechanical principles to the theorem of entanglement monogamy. Employing Glauber's theory of quantum coherence we compute the detection statistics in HOM interference of frequency-entangled photons and find an additional term in the coincidence detection probability, which is related to the spectral indistinguishability of the considered photons that arises from finite-bandwidth effects and therefore is relevant in the limit of low-frequency separations or large single-photon bandwidths. Compared to previous work in that context we treat all photonic degrees of freedom on equal footing.

arXiv:2202.07522•Physical Review A•Mar 9, 2023•5 citations
We discuss the spectral structure and decomposition of multi-photon states. Ordinarily multi-photon states' and Fock states' are regarded as synonymous. However, when the spectral degrees of freedom are included this is not the case, and the class of multi-photon' states is much broader than the class of Fock' states. We discuss the criteria for a state to be considered a Fock state. We then address the decomposition of general multi-photon states into bases of orthogonal eigenmodes, building on existing multi-mode theory, and introduce an occupation number representation that provides an elegant description of such states that in many situations simplifies calculations. Finally we apply this technique to several example situations, which are highly relevant for state of the art experiments. These include Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, spectral filtering, finite bandwidth photo-detection, homodyne detection and the conditional preparation of Schrödinger Kitten and Fock states. Our techniques allow for very simple descriptions of each of these examples.
The purpose of this paper is to derive filters for an arbitrary open quantum system driven by a light wavepacket prepared in a continuous-mode multi-photon state. A continuous-mode multi-photon state is a state of a travelling light wavepacket that contains a definite number of photons and is characterised by a temporal (or equivalently spectral) profile. After the interaction with the system, the outgoing light can be monitored by means of homodyne detection or photodetection. Filters for both measurement schemes are derived in this paper. Unlike the vacuum or the coherent state case, the annihilation operator of the light field acting on a multi-photon state changes the state by annihilating a photon, and this makes the traditional filtering techniques inapplicable. To circumvent this difficulty, we adopt a non-Markovian embedding technique proposed in \cite{gough:2013} for the study of the single-photon filtering problem. However, the multi-photon nature of the problem addressed in this paper makes the study much more mathematically involved. Moreover, as demonstrated by an example --- a two-level system driven by a continuous-mode two-photon state, multi-photon filters can reveal interesting strong nonlinear optical phenomena absent in both the single-photon state case and the continuous-mode Fock state case.
The purpose of this paper is to derive filters for an arbitrary open quantum system driven by a light wave packet prepared in a continuous-mode multiphoton state. A continuous-mode multiphoton state is a state of a traveling light wave packet that contains a definite number of photons and is characterized by a temporal (or, equivalently, spectral) profile. After the interaction with the system, the outgoing light can be monitored by means of homodyne detection or photodetection. Filters for both measurement schemes are derived in this paper. Unlike the vacuum or the coherent state case, the annihilation operator of the light field acting on a multiphoton state changes the state by annihilating a photon, and this makes the traditional filtering techniques inapplicable. To circumvent this difficulty, we adopt a non-Markovian embedding technique proposed in [J. E. Gough, M. R. James, and H. I. Nurdin, Quantum Inf. Process., 12 (2013), pp. 1469--1499] for the study of the single-photon filtering problem. However, the multiphoton nature of the problem addressed in this paper makes the study much more mathematically involved. Moreover, as demonstrated by an example---a two-level system driven by a continuous-mode two-photon state---multiphoton filters can reveal interesting strong nonlinear optical phenomena absent in both the single-photon state case and the continuous-mode Fock state case.
The challenging requirements of large scale quantum information processing using parametric heralded single photon sources involve maximizing the interference visibility while maintaining an acceptable photon generation rate. By developing a general theoretical framework that allows us to include a large number of spatial and spectral modes together with linear and non-linear optical elements, we investigate the combined effects of spectral and photon number impurity on the measured Hong–Ou–Mandel interference visibility of parametric photon sources, considering both threshold and number resolving detectors, together with the effects of spectral filtering. We find that for any degree of spectral impurity, increasing the photon generation rate necessarily decreases the interference visibility, even when using number resolving detection. While tight spectral filtering can be used to enforce spectral purity and increased interference visibility at low powers, we find that the induced photon number impurity results in a decreasing interference visibility and heralding efficiency with pump power, while the maximum generation rate is also reduced.
These lectures form a general introduction to the domain of Quantum Optics, with a special emphasis on the notion of field eigenmodes that are necessary to describe the quantum effects in light and define the photons: possibility of changing the basis of field eigenmodes and choosing the most appropriate one, definition of intrinsic properties, independent of the choice of basis. Are successively studied the single mode quantum effects, the quantum correlations existing in bimodal systems, and some interesting features of highly multimode systems such as the optical images.
We investigate the relation between indistinguishability and quantum entanglement in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference experiments theoretically and relate these quantum mechanical principles to the theorem of entanglement monogamy. Employing Glauber's theory of quantum coherence we compute the detection statistics in HOM interference of frequency-entangled photons and find an additional term in the coincidence detection probability, which is related to the spectral indistinguishability of the considered photons that arises from finite-bandwidth effects and therefore is relevant in the limit of low-frequency separations or large single-photon bandwidths. Compared to previous work in that context we treat all photonic degrees of freedom on equal footing.