Photonic crystal cavities can localize light into nanoscale volumes with high quality factors. This permits a strong interaction between light and matter, which is important for the construction of classical light sources with improved properties (e.g., low threshold lasers) and of nonclassical light sources (such as single and entangled photon sources) that are crucial pieces of hardware of quantum information processing systems. This article will review some of our recent experimental and theoretical results on the interaction between single quantum dots and photonic crystal cavity fields, and on the integration of multiple photonic crystal devices into functional circuits for quantum information processing.
Optical parametric process occurring in a photonic band-gap planar waveguide is studied from the point of view of nonclassical-light generation. Nonlinearly interacting optical fields are described by the generalized superposition of coherent signals and noise using the method of operator linear corrections to a classical strong solution. Scattered backward-propagating fields are taken into account. Squeezed light as well as light with sub-Poissonian statistics can be obtained in two-mode fields under the specified conditions.
Optical parametric process occurring in a nonlinear planar waveguide can serve as a source of light with nonclassical properties. Properties of the generated fields are substantially modified by scattering of the nonlinearly interacting fields in a photonic band-gap structure inside the waveguide. A quantum model of linear operator amplitude corrections to amplitude mean-values provides conditions for an efficient squeezed-light generation as well as generation of light with sub-Poissonian photon-number statistics. Destructive influence of phase mismatch of the nonlinear interaction can fully …
We motivate and introduce a class of "hierarchical" quantum superposition states of $N$ coupled quantum oscillators. Unlike other well-known multimode photonic Schrödinger cat states such as entangled coherent states, the hierarchical superposition states are characterized as two-branch superpositions of tensor products of single-mode Schrödinger cat states. In addition to analyzing the photon statistics and quasiprobability distributions of prominent examples of these nonclassical states, we consider their usefulness for high-precision quantum metrology of nonlinear optical Hamiltonians and q…
Theory-agnostic nonclassicality certification in an integrated photonic circuit
University of Gdańsk（格但斯克大学）；Griffith University（格里菲斯大学）；Sapienza Università di Roma（罗马大学）；Sparrow Quantum（麻雀量子）；Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics（理论物理柏拉图研究所）；Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche（意大利国家研究委员会）；Politecnico di Milano（米兰理工大学）
Nonclassical motional states of matter are of interest both from a fundamental perspective but also for their potential technological applications as resources in various quantum processing tasks such as quantum teleportation, sensing, communication, and computation. In this work we explore the motional effects of a harmonically trapped, excited two-level emitter coupled to a one-dimensional (1D) photonic system. As the emitter decays it experiences a momentum recoil that entangles its motion with the emitted photon pulse. In the long-time limit the emitter relaxes to its electronic ground sta…
We experimentally demonstrate frequency translation of a nonclassical optical field via the Bragg scattering four-wave mixing process in a photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The high nonlinearity and the ability to control dispersion in PCF enable efficient translation between photon channels within the visible to-near-infrared spectral range, useful in quantum networks. Heralded single photons at 683 nm were translated to 659 nm with an efficiency of $28.6 \pm 2.2$ percent. Second-order correlation measurements on the 683-nm and 659-nm fields yielded $g^{(2)}_{683}(0) = 0.21 \pm 0.02$ and $g^{(2)}…
We report the observation of nonclassical light generated via photon blockade in a photonic crystal cavity with a strongly coupled quantum dot. By tuning the frequency of the probe laser with respect to the cavity and quantum dot resonance we can probe the system in either photon blockade or photon-induced tunneling regime. The transition from one regime to the other is confirmed by the measurement of the second order correlation that changes from anti-bunching to bunching.
We investigate the photon induced tunneling phenomena in a photonic crystal cavity containing a strongly coupled quantum dot and describe how this tunneling can be used to generate photon states consisting mainly of a particular Fock state. Additionally, we study experimentally the photon-induced tunneling as a function of excitation laser power and frequency and show the signature of second rung of the Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian in the observed photon-statistics.
Rapid progress in the development of metasurfaces allowed to replace bulky optical assemblies with thin nanostructured films, often called metasurfaces, opening a broad range of novel and superior applications to the generation, manipulation, and detection of light in classical optics. Recently, these developments started making a headway in quantum photonics, where novel opportunities arose for the control of nonclassical nature of light, including photon statistics, quantum state superposition, quantum entanglement, and single-photon detection. In this Perspective, we review recent progress …
Remote state preparation (RSP) enables a sender to remotely prepare the quantum state of a receiver without sending the state itself. Recently, it has been recognized that quantum discord is a necessary resource for RSP. Here, we theoretically and experimentally investigate whether RSP can outperform dynamic classical remote state preparation processes. We show that such classical processes can describe certain RSPs powered by quantum discord. Rather, we argue that a new kind of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering for dynamical processes, called quantum process steering, is the resource required …
Targeting at the realization of scalable photonic quantum technologies, the generation of many photons, their propagation in large optical networks, and a subsequent detection and analysis of sophisticated quantum correlations are essential for the understanding of macroscopic quantum systems. In this experimental contribution, we explore the joint operation of all mentioned ingredients. We benchmark our time-multiplexing framework that includes a high-performance source of multiphoton states and a large multiplexing network, together with unique detectors with high photon-number resolution, r…
We theoretically study the emission statistics of a weakly nonlinear photonic dimer during coherent oscillations. We show that the phase and population dynamics allow to periodically meet an optimal intensity squeezing condition resulting in a strongly nonclassical emission statistics. By considering an exciton-polariton Josephson junction resonantly driven by a classical source, we show that a sizeable antibunching should emerge in such semiconductor system where intrinsic nonclassical signatures have remained elusive to date.
The interplay of the tunneling transfer of charges and the emission and absorption of light can be investigated in a setup, where a voltage-biased Josephson junction is connected in series with a microwave cavity. We focus here on the emission processes of photons and analyze the underlying time-dependent statistics using the second-order correlation function $g^{(2)}(τ)$ and the waiting-time distribution $w(τ)$. Both observables highlight the crossover from a coherent light source to a single-photon source. Due to the nonlinearity of the Josephson junction, tunneling Cooper pairs can create a…
Characterizing genuine quantum resources and determining operational rules for their manipulation are crucial steps to appraise possibilities and limitations of quantum technologies. Two such key resources are nonclassicality, manifested as quantum superposition between reference states of a single system, and entanglement, capturing quantum correlations among two or more subsystems. Here we present a general formalism for the conversion of nonclassicality into multipartite entanglement, showing that a faithful reversible transformation between the two resources is always possible within a pre…
In this paper, we demonstrate a source of photon pairs based on four-wave-mixing in photonic crystal fibres. Careful engineering of the phase matching conditions in the fibres enables us to create photon pairs at 597 nm and 860 nm in an intrinsically factorable state showing no spectral correlations. This allows for heralding one photon in a pure state and hence renders narrow band filtering obsolete. The source is narrow band, bright and achieves an overall detection efficiency of up to 21% per photon. For the first time, a Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with unfiltered photons from separate fib…
Integrated optical devices will play a central role in the future development of nonlinear quantum photonics. Here we focus on the generation of high-gain nonclassical light within them. Starting from the solid foundation provided by Maxwell's equations, we then move to applications by presenting a unified formulation that allows for a comparison of stimulated and spontaneous experiments in ring resonators and nanophotonic waveguides, and leads directly to the calculation of the quantum states of light generated in high-gain experiments.
In the last decade, there has been remarkable progress on the practical integration of on-chip quantum photonic devices yet quantum state generators remain an outstanding challenge. Simultaneously, the quantum-dot photonic-crystal-resonator platform has demonstrated a versatility for creating nonclassical light with tunable quantum statistics, thanks to a newly discovered self-homodyning interferometric effect that preferentially selects the quantum light over the classical light when using an optimally tuned Fano resonance. In this work, we propose a general structure for the cavity quantum e…
In quantum mechanics, photonic de Broglie waves have been understood as a unique property of quantum mechanics satisfying the complementarity between particle and wave natures of light, where the photonic de Broglie wavelength is inversely proportional to the number of entangled photons acting on a beam splitter. Very recently, the heart of nonclassical feature of photon bunching on a beam splitter was newly interpreted using pure wave nature of coherence optics [arXiv:1911.07174v2], paving a road to unconditionally secured classical key distribution [arXiv:1807.04233v3]. Here, Mach-Zehnder in…
We investigate the decay properties of the quantumness including quantum entanglement, quantum discord and quantum coherence for two photonic qubits, which are partially entangled in their orbital angular momenta, through Kolmogorov turbulent atmosphere. It is found that the decay of quantum coherence and quantum discord may be qualitatively different from that of quantum entanglement when the initial state of two photons is not maximally entangled. We also derive two universal decay laws for quantum coherence and quantum discord, respectively, and show that the decay of quantum coherence is m…
Integrated quantum photonic waveguide circuits are a promising approach to realizing future photonic quantum technologies. Here, we present an integrated photonic quantum technology platform utilising the silicon-on-insulator material system, where quantum interference and the manipulation of quantum states of light are demonstrated in components orders of magnitude smaller than in previous implementations. Two-photon quantum interference is presented in a multi-mode interference coupler, and manipulation of entanglement is demonstrated in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, opening the way to an a…
We present a protocol to construct an arbitrary quantum circuit. The quantum bits (qubits) are encoded in polarisation states of single photons. They are stored in spatially separated dense media deposed in an optical cavity. Specific sequences of pulses address individually the storage media to encode the qubits and to implement a universal set of gates. The proposed protocol is decoherence-free in the sense that spontaneous emission and cavity damping are avoided. We discuss a coupling scheme for experimental implementation in Neon atoms.
A silicon quantum photonic circuit was proposed and demonstrated as an integrated quantum light source for telecom band polarization entangled Bell state generation and dynamical manipulation. Biphoton states were firstly generated in four silicon waveguides by spontaneous four wave mixing. They were transformed to polarization entangled Bell states through on-chip quantum interference and quantum superposition, and then coupled to optical fibers. The property of polarization entanglement in generated photon pairs was demonstrated by two-photon interferences under two non-orthogonal polarizati…
Quantum walks are counterparts of classical random walks. They spread faster, which can be exploited in information processing tasks, and constitute a versatile simulation platform for many quantum systems. Yet, some of their properties can be emulated with classical light. This rises a question: which aspects of the model are truly nonclassical? We address it by carrying out a photonic experiment based on a pre- and post-selection paradox. The paradox implies that if somebody could choose to ask, either if the particle is at position x = 0 at even time steps, or at position x = d (d > 1) at o…
The presence of disorder and inhomogeneities in quantum networks has often been unexpectedly beneficial for both quantum and classical resources. Here, we experimentally realize a controllable inhomogenous Quantum Walk dynamics, which can be exploited to investigate the effect of coherent disorder on the quantum correlations between two indistinguishable photons. Through the imposition of suitable disorder configurations, we observe two photon states which exhibit an enhancement in the quantum correlations between two modes of the network, compared to the case of an ordered Quantum Walk. Diffe…
In this thesis, we report the theoretical and experimental investigations towards the creation, characterization, and manipulation of quantum entanglement in a photonic system. We examine two different aspects of quantum entanglement: In the first part, we discuss the experimental method for the preparation and characterization of SPDC-based polarization-entangled photon source. We provide a review study comparing different Entanglement Measures for non-maximally entangled two-qubit pure states and extend this analysis to higher-dimensional systems. In the second part, we study the entanglemen…
An efficient quantum storage is highly desired for quantum information processing. As indicated by certain applications, a universal quantum storage is required to have a storage efficiency above 50% to beat the no-cloning limit. Although significant progress has been achieved in improving various quantum storage, the best storage efficiency of single photons is still below this criteria. By integrating a highly controllable single photon source with an optimized quantum storage, here we demonstrate an optical storage of single photons with storage efficiency of 65% in a cold atomic ensemble b…
Highly nonclassical character of optical quantum detectors, such as single-photon detectors, is essential for preparation of quantum states of light and a vast majority of applications in quantum metrology and quantum information processing. Therefore, it is both fundamentally interesting and practically relevant to investigate the nonclassical features of optical quantum measurements. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a procedure for direct certification of quantum non-Gaussianity and Wigner function negativity, two crucial nonclassicality levels, of photonic quantum detectors. R…
A novel method of preparing a single photon in temporally-delocalized entangled modes is proposed and analyzed. We show that two single-photon pulses propagating in a driven nonabsorbing medium with different group velocities are temporally split under parametric interaction into well-separated pulses. As a consequence, the single-photon "time-bin-entangled" states are generatedwith a programmable entanglement, which is easily controlled by driving field intensity. The experimental study of nonclassical features and nonlocality in generated states by means of balanced homodyne tomography is di…
We present a protocol for generating on-demand, indistinguishable single photons on a silicon photonic integrated chip. The source is a time-multiplexed spontaneous parametric down-conversion element that allows optimization of single-photon versus multiphoton emission while realizing high output rate and indistinguishability. We minimize both the scaling of active elements and the scaling of active element loss with multiplexing. We then discuss detection strategies and data processing to further optimize the procedure. We simulate an improvement in single-photon-generation efficiency over pr…
Increasing the complexity of quantum photonic devices is essential for many optical information processing applications to reach a regime beyond what can be classically simulated, and integrated photonics has emerged as a leading platform for achieving this. Here, we demonstrate three-photon quantum operation of an integrated device containing three coupled interferometers, eight spatial modes and many classical and nonclassical interferences. This represents a critical advance over previous complexities and the first on-chip nonclassical interference with more than two photonic inputs. We int…
Clifford Manipulations of Stabilizer States: A graphical rule book for Clifford unitaries and measurements on cluster states, and application to photonic quantum computing
A single laser-cooled and trapped 9Be+ ion is used to investigate methods of coherent quantum-state synthesis and quantum logic. We create and characterize nonclassical states of motion including "Schroedinger-cat" states. A fundamental quantum logic gate is realized which uses two states of the quantized ion motion and two ion internal states as qubits. We explore some of the applications for, and problems in realizing, quantum computation based on multiple trapped ions.
Josephson-photonics devices have emerged in the last years as versatile platforms to study light-charge interactions far from equilibrium and to create nonclassical radiation. Their potential to operate as nanoscale heat engines has also been discussed. The complementary mode of cooling is investigated here in the regimes of low and large photon occupancy, where nonlinearities are essential.
We propose a realistic protocol for the preparation and readout of mechanical Bell states in an optomechanical system. The proposal relies on parameters characterizing a photonic crystal cavity mode, coupled to two localized flexural modes of the structure, but equally applies to other optomechanical systems in the same parameter range. The nonclassical states are heralded via optical postselection and revealed in specific interference patterns characterizing the emission at the cavity frequency.
We consider a nonlinearly coupled electromechanical system, and develop a quantitative theory for two-phonon cooling. In the presence of two-phonon cooling, the mechanical Hilbert space is effectively reduced to its ground and first excited states, allowing for quantum operations at the level of individual phonons and preparing nonclassical mechanical states with negative Wigner functions. We propose a scheme for performing arbitrary Bloch sphere rotations, and derive the fidelity in the specific case of a $π$-pulse. We characterise detrimental processes that reduce the coherence in the system…
Inspired by recent advances in the manipulation of atoms trapped near 1D waveguides and pro- posals to use surface acoustic waves on piezoelectric substrates for the same purpose, we show the potential of two-dimensional platforms. We exploit the directional emission of atoms near photonic crystal slabs with square symmetry to build perfect subradiant states of 2 distant atoms, possible in 2D only for finite lattices with reflecting boundaries. We also show how to design massively parallel 1D arrays of atoms above a single crystal, useful for multi-port output of nonclassical light, by ex- plo…
We demonstrate the storage and manipulation of narrowband heralded single photons from a cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) source in the atomic quantum memory based on electromagnetically induced transparency. We show that nonclassical correlations are preserved between the heralding and the retrieved photons after storage process. By varying the intensity of the coupling field during retrieval process, we further demonstrate that the waveform or bandwidth of the single photons can be manipulated and the nonclassical correlation between the photon pairs can be even e…
Photonic integrated circuits play a central role in current and future applications such as communications, sensing, ranging, and information processing. Photonic quantum computing will also likely require an integrated optics architecture for improved stability, scalability, and performance. Fault-tolerant quantum computing mandates very accurate and robust quantum gates. In this work, we demonstrate high-fidelity directional couplers for single-qubit gates in photonic integrated waveguides, utilizing a novel scheme of detuning-modulated composite segments. Specific designs for reduced sensit…
By numerically calculating the time-evolved Wigner functions, we investigate the dynamics of a few-photon superposed (e.g., up to two ones) state in a dissipating cavity. It is shown that, the negativity of the Wigner function of the photonic state unquestionably vanishes with the cavity's dissipation. As a consequence, the nonclassical effects related to the negativity of the Wigner function should be weakened gradually. However, it is found that the value of the second-order correlation function $g^{(2)}(0)$ (which serves usually as the standard criterion of a typical nonclassical effect, i.…
High visibility on-chip quantum interference among indistinguishable single-photons from multiples sources is a key prerequisite for integrated linear optical quantum computing. Resonant enhancement in micro-ring resonators naturally enables brighter, purer and more indistinguishable single-photon production without any tight spectral filtering. The indistinguishability of heralded single-photons from multiple micro-ring resonators has not been measured in any photonic platform. Here, we report on-chip indistinguishability measurements of heralded single-photons generated from independent micr…
Collective measurements on identically prepared quantum systems can extract more information than local measurements, thereby enhancing information-processing efficiency. Although this nonclassical phenomenon has been known for two decades, it has remained a challenging task to demonstrate the advantage of collective measurements in experiments. Here we introduce a general recipe for performing deterministic collective measurements on two identically prepared qubits based on quantum walks. Using photonic quantum walks, we realize experimentally an optimized collective measurement with fidelity…
Faithful storage and coherent manipulation of quantum optical pulses are key for long distance quantum communications and quantum computing. Combining these functions in a light-matter interface that can be integrated on-chip with other photonic quantum technologies, e.g. sources of entangled photons, is an important step towards these applications. To date there have only been a few demonstrations of coherent pulse manipulation utilizing optical storage devices compatible with quantum states, and that only in atomic gas media (making integration difficult) and with limited capabilities. Here …
