Two-photon absorption (TPA) and other nonlinear interactions of molecules with time-frequency-entangled photon pairs (EPP) has been predicted to display a variety of fascinating effects. Therefore, their potential use in practical quantum-enhanced molecular spectroscopy requires close examination. This paper presents in tutorial style a detailed theoretical study of one- and two-photon absorption by molecules, focusing on how to treat the quantum nature of light. We review some basic quantum optics theory, then we review the density-matrix (Liouville) derivation of molecular optical response, emphasizing how to incorporate quantum states of light into the treatment. For illustration we treat in detail the TPA of photon pairs created by spontaneous parametric down conversion, with an emphasis on how quantum light TPA differs from that with classical light. In particular, we treat the question of how much enhancement of the TPA rate can be achieved using entangled states. The paper includes review of known theoretical methods and results, as well as some extensions, especially the comparison of TPA processes that occur via far-off-resonant intermediate states only and those that involve off-resonant intermediate state by virtue of dephasing processes. A brief discussion of the main challenges facing experimental studies of entangled TPA is also given.
The purpose of this tutorial paper is to present a broad overview of photon-pair generation through the spontaneous four wave mixing (SFWM) process in optical fibers. Progress in optical fiber technology means that today we have at our disposal a wide variety of types of fiber, which together with the fact that SFWM uses two pump fields, implies a truly remarkable versatility in the resulting possible photon-pair properties. We discuss how the interplay of the frequency, transverse mode, and polarization degrees of freedom, the first linked to the latter two through fiber dispersion, leads to …
We report Bell violations with classical light prepared in both entangled and non-entangled polarization-path, binary states. Our results show that violations of constraints such as the Bell-Clauser-Horn-Shimony-Holt inequality do not necessarily falsify local-realism. Correlations in the realm of classical statistical optics, which are not of the Bell type, may lead to Bell violations.
In the recent years important experimental advances in resonant electro-optic modulators as high efficient sources for coherent frequency combs and as devices for quantum information transfer have been realized, where strong optical and microwave mode coupling were achieved. These features suggest electro-optic based devices as candidates for entangled optical frequency comb sources. In the present I study the generation of entangled optical frequency combs in mm-sized resonant electro-optic modulators. These devices profit from the experimentally proven advantages such as nearly constant opti…
We experimentally demonstrate the generation of a three-photon discrete-energy-entangled W state using multi-photon-pair generation by spontaneous four-wave mixing in an optical fiber. We show that by making use of prior information on the photon source we can verify the state produced by this source without resorting to frequency conversion.
Entangled photons are pivotal elements in emerging quantum information technologies. While several schemes are available for the production of entangled photons, they typically require the assistance of cumbersome optical elements to couple them to other components involved in logic operations. Here, we introduce a scheme by which entangled photon pairs are directly generated as guided mode states in optical waveguides. The scheme relies on the intrinsic nonlinearity of the waveguide material, circumventing the use of bulky optical components. Specifically, we consider an optical fiber under n…
We proposed two linear optics based entanglement concentration protocols (ECPs) to obtain maximally entangled 4-mode Cluster-type entangled coherent state (ECS) from less (partially) entangled Cluster-type ECS. The first ECP is designed using a superposition of single-mode coherent state with two unknown parameters, whereas the second ECP is obtained using a superposition of single-mode coherent state and a superposition of two-mode coherent state with four unknown parameters. The success probabilities have been calculated for both the ECPs. Necessary quantum circuits enabling future experimen…
We proposed two entanglement concentration protocols (ECPs) to obtain maximally entangled Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ)-type entangled coherent state (ECS) from the corresponding partially entangled GHZ-type ECSs. We obtained the first ECP using a partially entangled GHZ-type ECS assisted with a superposition of single-mode coherent state, however the second ECP is designed using two copies of partially entangled GHZ-type ECSs. The success probabilities have also been calculated and discussed for both the ECPs. We have further compared the success probabilities of our first ECP for 3-mode …
Reconfigurable distribution of entangled states is essential for operation of quantum networks connecting multiple devices such as quantum memories and quantum computers. We introduce new quantum distribution network architecture enabling control of the entangled state propagation direction using linear-optical devices and phase shifters and offering reconfigurable connections between multiple quantum nodes. The basic two-photon entanglement distribution scheme is first introduced to illustrate the principle of operation. The scheme is then extended to a network structure with increased number…
The positivity of the partial transpose is in general only a necessary condition for separability. There exist quantum states that are not separable, but nevertheless are positive under partial transpose. States of this type are known as bound entangled states meaning that these states are entangled but they do not allow distillation of pure entanglement by means of local operations and classical communication (LOCC). We present a parametrization of a class of $2\times 2$ bound entangled Gaussian states for bipartite continuous-variable quantum systems with two modes on each side. We propose a…
Optical low-coherence reflectometry is capable of unambiguously measuring positions of stacked, partially reflective layers in a sample object. It relies on the low coherence of the light source and the absolute distances are obtained from the position reading of a mechanical motor stage. We show how to exploit the simultaneous high and low coherence properties of energy-time entangled photon pairs to directly calibrates the position scale of an OLCR scan with a reference laser wavelength. In experiment, a precision of 1.6\,nm and good linearity is demonstrated.
Using only linear optical elements, the creation of dual-rail photonic entangled states is inherently probabilistic. Known entanglement generation schemes have low success probabilities, requiring large-scale multiplexing to achieve near-deterministic operation of quantum information processing protocols. In this paper, we introduce multiple techniques and methods to generate photonic entangled states with high probability, which have the potential to reduce the footprint of Linear Optical Quantum Computing (LOQC) architectures drastically. Most notably, we are showing how to improve Bell stat…
Entangled photon pair sources based on bulk optics are approaching optimal design and implementation, with high state fidelities, spectral purities and heralding efficiencies, but generally low brightness. Integrated entanglement sources, while providing higher brightness and low-power operation, often sacrifice performance in output state quality and coupling efficiency. Here we present a polarization-entangled pair source based on a hybrid approach of waveguiding and bulk optics, addressing every metric simultaneously. We show 96% fidelity to the singlet state, 82% Hong-Ou-Mandel interferenc…
