23 pages, 5 figures, supplemental information not included but a link is provided. This work is dedicated to the people in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak during which the final stage of this experiment was carried out
Gaussian boson sampling exploits squeezed states to provide a highly efficient way to demonstrate quantum computational advantage. We perform experiments with 50 input single-mode squeezed states with high indistinguishability and squeezing parameters, which are fed into a 100-mode ultralow-loss interferometer with full connectivity and random transformation, and sampled using 100 high-efficiency single-photon detectors. The whole optical set-up is phase-locked to maintain a high coherence between the superposition of all photon number states. We observe up to 76 output photon-clicks, which yield an output state space dimension of $10^{30}$ and a sampling rate that is $10^{14}$ faster than using the state-of-the-art simulation strategy and supercomputers. The obtained samples are validated against various hypotheses including using thermal states, distinguishable photons, and uniform distribution.
The scaling up of quantum hardware is the fundamental challenge ahead in order to realize the disruptive potential of quantum technology in information science. Among the plethora of hardware platforms, photonics stands out by offering a modular approach, where the main challenge is to construct sufficiently high-quality building blocks and develop methods to efficiently interface them. Importantly, the subsequent scaling-up will make full use of the mature integrated photonic technology provided by photonic foundry infrastructure to produce small foot-print quantum processors of immense compl…
Quantum resources outperform classical ones for certain communication and computational tasks. Remarkably, in some cases, the quantum advantage cannot be improved using hypothetical postquantum resources. A class of tasks with this property can be singled out using graph theory. Here we report the experimental observation of an impossible-to-beat quantum advantage on a four-dimensional quantum system defined by the polarization and orbital angular momentum of a single photon. The results show pristine evidence of the quantum advantage and are compatible with the maximum advantage allowed using…
Quantum metrology employs quantum resources to enhance the measurement sensitivity beyond that can be achieved classically. While multi-photon entangled NOON states can in principle beat the shot-noise limit and reach the Heisenberg limit, high NOON states are difficult to prepare and fragile to photon loss which hinders it from reaching unconditional quantum metrological advantages. Here, we combine the idea of unconventional nonlinear interferometers and stimulated emission of squeezed light, previously developed for photonic quantum computer Jiuzhang, to propose and realize a new scheme tha…
In the last years, several works have demonstrated the advantage of photon subtracted Gaussian states for various quantum optics and information protocols. In most of these works, it was not clearly investigated the relation between the advantages and the usual increasing energy of the quantum state related to photon subtraction. In this paper, we study the performance of an interferometer injected with multi photon annihilated squeezed vacuum states mixed with coherent states for both single and correlated phase estimation. For single phase estimation, albeit the use of multi-photon annihilat…
We present a gated silicon single photon detector based on a commercially available avalanche photodiode. Our detector achieves a photon detection efficiency of 45\pm5% at 808 nm with 2x 10^-6 dark count per ns at -30V of excess bias and -30°C. We compare gated and free-running detectors and show that this mode of operation has significant advantages in two representative experimental scenarios: detecting a single photon either hidden in faint continuous light or after a strong pulse. We also explore, at different temperatures and incident light intensities, the "charge persistence" effect, wh…
Quantum computer, harnessing quantum superposition to boost a parallel computational power, promises to outperform its classical counterparts and offer an exponentially increased scaling. The term "quantum advantage" was proposed to mark the key point when people can solve a classically intractable problem by artificially controlling a quantum system in an unprecedented scale, even without error correction or known practical applications. Boson sampling, a problem about quantum evolutions of multi-photons on multimode photonic networks, as well as its variants, has been considered as a promisi…
We discuss the realization of quantum advantage in a system without quantum entanglement but with non-zero quantum discord. We propose an optical realization of symmetric two-qubit $X$-states with controllable anti-diagonal elements. This approach does not requires initially entangled states, and it can generate states that have quantum discord, with or without entanglement. We discuss how quantum advantage can be attained in the context of a two-qubit game. We show that when entanglement is not present, the maximum quantum advantage is 1/3 bit. A comparable quantum advantage, 0.311 bit, can b…
Here we propose a new design paradigm for a superconducting nanowire single photon detector that uses a multi-layer architecture that places the electric leads beneath the nanowires. This allows for a very large number of detector elements, which we will call pixels in analogy to a conventional CCD camera, to be placed in close proximity. This leads to significantly better photon number resolution than current single and multi-nanowire meanders, while maintaining similar detection areas. We discuss the reset time of the pixels and how the design can be modified to avoid the latching failure se…
The final goal of quantum hypothesis testing is to achieve quantum advantage over all possible classical strategies. In the protocol of quantum reading this advantage is achieved for information retrieval from an optical memory, whose generic cell stores a bit of information in two possible lossy channels. For this protocol, we show, theoretically and experimentally, that quantum advantage is obtained by practical photon-counting measurements combined with a simple maximum-likelihood decision. In particular, we show that this receiver combined with an entangled two-mode squeezed vacuum source …
In this work, the measurement transition as well as precision measurement advantages of single-photon-added coherent state after postselected von Neumann measurement are investigated. We noticed that the weak-to-strong measurement transition characterized by the shifts of pointer's position and momentum variables occurred in continuously by controlling a dimensionless parameter associated with system-pointer coupling. We calculate the ratio between the signal-to-noise ratio of nonpostselected and postselected measurements, and the latter is used to find the quantum Fisher information. We found…
Quantum finite automata (QFA) are basic computational devices that make binary decisions using quantum operations. They are known to be exponentially memory efficient compared to their classical counterparts. Here, we demonstrate an experimental implementation of multi-qubit QFAs using the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of single photons. We implement different high-dimensional QFAs encoded on a single photon, where multiple qubits operate in parallel without the need for complicated multi-partite operations. Using two to eight OAM quantum states to implement up to four parallel qubits, we sho…
Engineering apparatus that harness quantum theory offers practical advantages over current technology. A fundamentally more powerful prospect is the long-standing prediction that such quantum technologies could out-perform any future iteration of their classical counterparts, no matter how well the attributes of those classical strategies can be improved. Here, we experimentally demonstrate such an instance of \textit{absolute} advantage per photon probe in the precision of optical direct absorption measurement. We use correlated intensity measurements of spontaneous parametric downconversion …
It was recently proposed to use the human visual system's ability to perform efficient photon counting in order to devise a new biometric methodology. The relevant biometric fingerprint is represented by the optical losses light suffers along several different paths from the cornea to the retina. The fingerprint is accessed by interrogating a subject on perceiving or not weak light flashes, containing few tens of photons, so that the subject's visual system works at the threshold of perception, at which regime optical losses play a significant role. Here we show that if instead of weak laser l…
We give detailed insight into photon counting OTDR (nu-OTDR) operation, ranging from Geiger mode operation of avalanche photodiodes (APD), analysis of different APD bias schemes, to the discussion of OTDR perspectives. Our results demonstrate that an InGaAs/InP APD based nu-OTDR has the potential of outperforming the dynamic range of a conventional state-of-the-art OTDR by 10 dB as well as the 2-point resolution by a factor of 20. Considering the trace acquisition speed of nu-OTDRs, we find that a combination of rapid gating for high photon flux and free running mode for low photon flux is the…
With the progress of optical detection technology, the classical diffraction limit raised a hundred years ago has been continuously broken through. In previous experiments within fluorescence sources, one of the techniques used is detecting auto-correlation functions. The image is reconstructed by single-photon and multi-photon detecting intensities. By taking the joint intensity of more than one single-photon detectors into consideration, the point spread function of each photon emitter can be resolved even when the distance of their central position is below the classical diffraction limit. …
We have devised an experimentally realizable model generating twin beam states whose individual beam photon statistics are varied from thermal to Poissonian keeping the non-classical mode correlation intact. We have studied the usefulness of these states for loss measurement by considering three different estimators, comparing with the correlated thermal twin beam states generated from spontaneous parametric down conversion or four-wave mixing. We then incorporated the photon subtraction operation into the model and demonstrate their advantage in loss estimations with respect to un-subtracted …
Recent breakthroughs in solid-state photonic quantum technologies enable generating and detecting single photons with near-unity efficiency as required for a range of photonic quantum technologies. The lack of methods to simultaneously generate and control photons within the same chip, however, has formed a main obstacle to achieving efficient multi-qubit gates and to harness the advantages of chip-scale quantum photonics. Here we propose and demonstrate an integrated voltage-controlled phase shifter based on the electro-optic effect in suspended photonic waveguides with embedded quantum emitt…
Path-entangled multi-photon states allow optical phase-sensing beyond the shot-noise limit, provided that an efficient parity measurement can be implemented. Realising this experimentally is technologically demanding, as it requires coincident single-photon detection proportional to the number of photons involved, which represents a severe challenge for achieving a practical quantum advantage over classical methods. Here, we exploit advanced quantum state engineering based on superposing two photon-pair creation events to realise a new approach that bypasses this issue. In particular, optical …
The Aharon-Vaidman (AV) game exemplifies the advantage of using simple quantum systems to outperform classical strategies. We present an experimental test of this advantage by using a three-state quantum system (qutrit) encoded in a spatial mode of a single photon passing through three slits. The preparation of a particular state is controlled as the photon propagates through the slits by varying the number of open slits and their respective phases. The measurements are achieved by placing detectors in the specific positions in the near and far fields after the slits. This set of tools allowed…
Improving the loss threshold for quantum advantage in photonic sensors by complete photon counting
University of Oxford（牛津大学）；Imperial College London（伦敦帝国学院）；National Research Council of Canada（加拿大国家研究委员会）；National Institute of Standards and Technology（美国国家标准与技术研究院）；ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology（ICFO-光子科学研究所，巴塞罗那科学技术研究院）；Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya（加泰罗尼亚理工大学）
Nonlocal games with advantageous quantum strategies give arguably the most fundamental demonstration of the power of quantum resources over their classical counterparts. Recently, certain multiplayer generalizations of nonlocal games have been used to prove unconditional separations between small computational complexity classes of shallow-depth circuits. Here, we show advantageous strategies for these nonlocal games for generic ground states of one-dimensional symmetry-protected topological orders (SPTOs), when a discrete invariant of a SPTO known as a twist phase is nontrivial and -1. Our co…
We show that a separation between the class of all problems that can efficiently be solved on a quantum computer and those solvable using probabilistic classical algorithms in polynomial time implies the generalized contextuality of quantum algorithms. Our result subsumes versions of Gottesman-Knill theorem as special cases.
Models for quantum computation with circuit connections subject to the quantum superposition principle have been recently proposed. There, a control quantum system can coherently determine the order in which a target quantum system undergoes $N$ gate operations. This process, known as the quantum $N$-switch, is a resource for several information-processing tasks. In particular, it provides a computational advantage -- over fixed-gate-order quantum circuits -- for phase-estimation problems involving $N$ unknown unitary gates. However, the corresponding algorithm requires an experimentally unfea…
Nearly 30 years ago, two-photon interference was observed, marking the beginning of a new quantum era. Indeed, two-photon interference has no classical analogue, giving it a distinct advantage for a range of applications. The peculiarities of quantum physics may now be used to our advantage to outperform classical computations, securely communicate information, simulate highly complex physical systems and increase the sensitivity of precise measurements. This separation from classical to quantum physics has motivated physicists to study two-particle interference for both fermionic and bosonic …
We consider the estimation of a Hamiltonian parameter of a set of highly photosensitive samples, which are damaged after a few photons $N_{\rm abs}$ are absorbed, for a total time $T$. The samples are modelled as a two mode photonic system, where photons simultaneously acquire information on the unknown parameter and are absorbed at a fixed rate. We show that arbitrarily intense coherent states can obtain information at a rate that scales at most linearly with $N_{\rm abs}$ and $T$, whereas quantum states with finite intensity can overcome this bound. We characterise the quantum advantage as a…
Randomness is one of the most important resources in modern information science, since encryption founds upon the trust in random numbers. Since it is impossible to prove if an existing random bit string is truly random, it is relevant that they be generated in a trust worthy process. This requires specialized hardware for random numbers, for example a die or a tossed coin. But when all input parameters are known, their outcome might still be predicted. A quantum mechanical superposition allows for provably true random bit generation. In the past decade many quantum random number generators (Q…
We demonstrate a method of creating photonic two-dimensional cluster states that is considerably more efficient than previously proposed approaches. Our method uses only local unitaries and type-I fusion operations. The increased efficiency of our method compared to previously proposed constructions is obtained by identifying and exploiting local equivalence properties inherent in cluster states.
Multi-parameter two-photon polarimetry at the quantum limit
Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University（赫瑞-瓦特大学工程与物理科学学院光子学与量子科学研究所）；School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Portsmouth（朴茨茅斯大学数学与物理学院）；Quantum Science and Technology Hub, University of Portsmouth（朴茨茅斯大学量子科学与技术中心）；Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth（朴茨茅斯大学宇宙学与引力研究所）
We present the experimental quantum tomography of 7- and 8-dimensional quantum systems based on projective measurements in the mutually unbiased basis (MUB-QT). One of the advantages of MUB-QT is that it requires projections from a minimal number of bases to be performed. In our scheme, the higher dimensional quantum systems are encoded using the propagation modes of single photons, and we take advantage of the capabilities of amplitude- and phase-modulation of programmable spatial light modulators to implement the MUB-QT.
Quantum metrology takes advantage of nonclassical resources such as entanglement to achieve a sensitivity level below the standard quantum limit. To date, almost all quantum-metrology demonstrations are restricted to improving the measurement performance at a single sensor, but a plethora of applications require multiple sensors that work jointly to tackle distributed sensing problems. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable sensor network empowered by continuous-variable (CV) multipartite entanglement. Our experiment establishes a connection between the entanglement s…
Boson sampling is a specific quantum computation, which is likely hard to implement efficiently on a classical computer. The task is to sample the output photon number distribution of a linear optical interferometric network, which is fed with single-photon Fock state inputs. A question that has been asked is if the sampling problems associated with any other input quantum states of light (other than the Fock states) to a linear optical network and suitable output detection strategies are also of similar computational complexity as boson sampling. We consider the states that differ from the Fo…
In recent years, many computational tasks have been proposed as candidates for showing a quantum computational advantage, that is an advantage in the time needed to perform the task using a quantum instead of a classical machine. Nevertheless, practical demonstrations of such an advantage remain particularly challenging because of the difficulty in bringing together all necessary theoretical and experimental ingredients. Here, we show an experimental demonstration of a quantum computational advantage in a prover-verifier interactive setting, where the computational task consists in the verific…
We have studied theoretical un-symmetric multi-photon subtracted twin beam state and demonstrated a method for generating states that resembles to high photon number states with the increase in the number of subtracted photons through Wigner distribution function, which can be reconstructed experimentally by Homodyne measurement. A crucial point is high non-classicality is obtained by photon subtraction when mean photons per mode of twin beam state is low. We have calculated photon statistics from the phase space distribution function and found sub-poissonian behaviour in the same low mean pho…
