Quantum properties of nonclassical states generated by an optomechanical system with catalytic quantum scissors

A scheme is proposed to investigate the non-classical states generated by a quantum scissors device (QSD) operating on the the cavity mode of an optomechanical system. When the catalytic QSD acts on the cavity mode of the optomechanical system, the resulting state contains only the vacuum, single-photon and two-photon states depending upon the coupling parameter of the optomechanical system as well as the transmission coefficients of beam splitters (BSs). Especially, the output state is just a class of multicomponent cat state truncations at time t=2π by choosing the appropriate value of coupling parameter. We discuss the success probability of such a state and the fidelity between the output state and input state via QSD. Then the linear entropy is used to investigate the entanglement between the two subsystems, finding that QSD operation can enhance their entanglement degree. Furthermore, we also derive the analytical expression of the Wigner function (WF) for the cavity mode via QSD and numerically analyze the WF distribution in phase space at time t=2π. These results show that the high non-classicality of output state can always be achieved by modulating the coupling parameter of the optomechanical system as well as the transmittance of BSs.     

Generation of a superposition of odd photon number states for quantum information networks

We report on the experimental observation of quantum-network-compatible light described by a nonpositive Wigner function. The state is generated by photon subtraction from a squeezed vacuum state produced by a continuous wave optical parametric amplifier. Ideally, the state is a coherent superposition of odd photon number states, closely resembling a superposition of weak coherent states |alpha > - |-alpha >. In the limit of low squeezing the state is basically a single photon state. Light is generated with about 10,000 and more events per second in a nearly perfect spatial mode with a Fourier-limited frequency bandwidth which matches well atomic quantum memory requirements. The generated state of light is an excellent input state for testing quantum memories, quantum repeaters, and linear optics quantum computers.     

Quantum key distribution via fiber optic, fidelity and error corrections

We propose an interesting scheme on photon states generation using a fiber optic Mach Zehnder interferometer incorporating a fiber optic ring resonator without any optical pumping parts including in the system, which is available for long-distance link. In principle, the state of a quantum bit, it is known, unknown, or entangled to other systems. The desired quantum states are generated and transmitted in the link via a fiber optic. The transmission quality in terms of quantum fidelity is analyzed, where a high fidelity to the noiseless quantum channel is achieved by adding an ancillary photon after the signal photon within the correlation time of the fiber noise and by performing the quantum parity checking method. The error correction is also analyzed. For simplicity, feature and robustness against path-length mismatches among the nodes make our scheme suitable for multi-user quantum communication networks.     

实验条件不完美对薛定谔猫态制备的影响

薛定谔猫态是一类重要的非经典光场,实验上可以通过真空压缩态减光子的方案获得.本文从理论上研究了实验条件对制备薛定谔猫态的影响,主要考虑了包括压缩态的压缩度和纯度、单光子探测器的效率及噪声以及零拍探测器的效率等诸多因素的影响.理想情况下通过减光子方案制备得到的薛定谔猫态为奇光子数态,其相空间原点的Wigner函数为负值是其非经典特性的重要判据,而保真度可以度量制备态与理想猫态之间的相似程度.在压缩态为非纯态以及单光子探测器为商用低效率阈值探测器的情况下,计算了制备猫态的保真度、Wigner函数及其相空间原点处W（0）的表达式,分析了实验条件对薛定谔猫态制备的影响,为制备高质量的薛定谔猫态提供了理论指导.     

Feedback in the problem of distinguishing between two nonorthogonal coherent states

Feedback is proposed for distinguishing between two weak coherent states with phases differing by ∼π. The mutual nonorthogonality of such states gives rise to a discrimination error, which can be reduced by using feedback. An optical quantum channel is discussed where the input is classical information encoded in two weak coherent states. For a channel with feedback, the discrimination error probability is calculated, and the mutual entropy that quantifies the fidelity between input and output is evaluated. We find that the use of a feedback loop in a quantum communication channel can increase the mutual entropy when canonical position or photon number is measured.     

基于αη协议的量子数据流加密系统实际安全与性能分析

αη协议是一种利用量子噪声隐藏信息的随机加密协议. 通过求解高斯噪声信道中窃听者获取信息量的计算公式, 推导了该协议实际安全判据. 结果表明, 协议是否安全主要取决于信源量子态的平均光子数和密文符号数. 基于此, 计算了在光束分离攻击下两者的安全取值区间以及协议的有效通信距离.     

与光场依赖强度耦合多光子通道中原子周期量子回声的产生和控制

研究了与光场依赖强度耦合多光子通道中原子态保真度演化,探讨了原子周期量子回声的产生和控制。通过分别考察原子相干分布角、光场平均光子数以及原子跃迁时吸收（或发射）的光子数对原子态保真度演化的影响,获得了产生和控制原子周期量子回声的系统参数,并揭示了原子态高保真输出的物理实质。     

与光场依赖强度耦合多光子通道中原子周期量子回声的产生和控制

研究了与光场依赖强度耦合多光子通道中原子态保真度演化,探讨了原子周期量子回声的产生和控制。通过分别考察原子相干分布角、光场平均光子数以及原子跃迁时吸收（或发射）的光子数对原子态保真度演化的影响,获得了产生和控制原子周期量子回声的系统参数,并揭示了原子态高保真输出的物理实质。     

Cavity-enhanced light scattering in optical lattices to probe atomic quantum statistics

Different quantum states of atoms in optical lattices can be nondestructively monitored by off-resonant collective light scattering into a cavity. Angle resolved measurements of photon number and variance give information about atom-number fluctuations and pair correlations without single-site access. Observation at angles of diffraction minima provides information on quantum fluctuations insensitive to classical noise. For transverse probing, no photon is scattered into a cavity from a Mott insulator phase, while the photon number is proportional to the atom number for a superfluid.     

Optimal filters for photon cloning with an optical amplifier

We study the performance of a practical quantum cloning scheme consisting of a continuously pumped broadband optical amplifier followed by optimal spectral and temporal filters for spontaneous emission suppression. Our simulation results demonstrate that the fidelity of this system is no better than a random cloning machine when the average input photon number is below one, but asymptotically approaches the quantum limit of an optimal quantum cloning machine as the input photon number increases. We also show that this system has a better fidelity than cloning based on state estimation, though for a large number of clones both cloning methods asymptotically approach the quantum limit.     

单光子纠缠态并发度的直接测量

通过分析光学分束器对单光子态的作用关系,提出了一个利用分束器和光子数探测器的单光子纠缠的直接测量方案.方案中用到单光子与空间模纠缠及其两个备份,并让它们通过一个50:50的分束器.选用并发度为纠缠度量,其可由单光子探测器的探测概率直接获得.此方案不需复杂的量子态层析方法,同时只用到在量子信息处理中常用的光学器件,增强了方案在实验上实现的可行性.     

多模简并多光子Tavis-Cummings模型中的量子纠缠特性

利用冯·纽曼约化熵理论研究了多模相干态光场与两等同二能级原子简并多光子相互作用系统量子纠缠演化特性,得到了多模光场量子纠缠的解析表达式,并给出了双模光场与两原子相互作用时量子纠缠的数值计算结果.结果表明:量子纠缠随着光子简并度的增大而增强;随着初始平均光子数的增加,量子纠缠演化的周期性变得越来越明显;当场与原子远离共振时,量子纠缠随着频率失谐量的增大而减弱;当失谐量足够大时,场与原子几乎总是处于纠缠状态.这些结论对于纠缠态或纯态的制备及获取光学系统中的量子信息研究中有一定参考价值.     

Demonstration of a single-photon router in the microwave regime

We have embedded an artificial atom, a superconducting transmon qubit, in an open transmission line and investigated the strong scattering of incident microwave photons (～6 GHz). When an input coherent state, with an average photon number N?1 is on resonance with the artificial atom, we observe extinction of up to 99.6% in the forward propagating field. We use two-tone spectroscopy to study scattering from excited states and we observe electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We then use EIT to make a single-photon router, where we can control to what output port an incoming signal is delivered. The maximum on-off ratio is around 99% with a rise and fall time on the order of nanoseconds, consistent with theoretical expectations. The router can easily be extended to have multiple output ports and it can be viewed as a rudimentary quantum node, an important step towards building quantum information networks.     

Experimental test of the quantum non-Gaussian character of a heralded single-photon state

We report on the experimental verification of quantum non-Gaussian character of a heralded single-photon state with a positive Wigner function. We unambiguously demonstrate that the generated state cannot be expressed as a mixture of Gaussian states. Sufficient information to witness the quantum non-Gaussian character is obtained from a standard photon anticorrelation measurement.     

High‐resolution spectral characterization of two photon states via classical measurements

Quantum optics plays a central role in the study of fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics, and in the development of new technological applications. Typical experiments employ sources of photon pairs generated by parametric processes such as spontaneous parametric down‐conversion and spontaneous four‐wave‐mixing. The standard characterization of these sources relies on detecting the pairs themselves and thus requires single photon detectors, which limit both measurement speed and accuracy. Here it is shown that the two‐photon quantum state that would be generated by parametric fluorescence can be characterised with unprecedented spectral resolution by performing a classical experiment. This streamlined technique gives access to hitherto unexplored features of two‐photon states and has the potential to speed up design and testing of massively parallel integrated nonlinear sources by providing a fast and reliable quality control procedure. Additionally, it allows for the engineering of quantum light states at a significantly higher level of spectral detail, powering future quantum optical applications based on time‐energy photon correlations.     

Continuous‐variable quantum information processing

Observables of quantum systems can possess either a discrete or a continuous spectrum. For example, upon measurements of the photon number of a light state, discrete outcomes will result whereas measurements of the light's quadrature amplitudes result in continuous outcomes. If one uses the continuous degree of freedom of a quantum system for encoding, processing or detecting information, one enters the field of continuous‐variable (CV) quantum information processing. In this paper we review the basic principles of CV quantum information processing with main focus on recent developments in the field. We will be addressing the three main stages of a quantum information system; the preparation stage where quantum information is encoded into CVs of coherent states and single‐photon states, the processing stage where CV information is manipulated to carry out a specified protocol and a detection stage where CV information is measured using homodyne detection or photon counting.     

Three-party Quantum Secure Direct Communication with Single Photons in both Polarization and Spatial-mode Degrees of Freedom

We present an efficient three-party quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocol with single photos in both polarization and spatial-mode degrees of freedom. The three legal parties’ messages can be encoded on the polarization and the spatial-mode states of single photons independently with desired unitary operations. A party can obtain the other two parties’ messages simultaneously through a quantum channel. Because no extra public information is transmitted in the classical channels, the drawback of information leakage or classical correlation does not exist in the proposed scheme. Moreover, the comprehensive security analysis shows that the presented QSDC network protocol can defend the outsider eavesdropper’s several sorts of attacks. Compared with the single photons with only one degree of freedom, our protocol based on the single photons in two degrees of freedom has higher capacity. Since the preparation and the measurement of single photon quantum states in both the polarization and the spatial-mode degrees of freedom are available with current quantum techniques, the proposed protocol is practical.     

纠缠压缩真空态的纠缠转移

通过分析光学分束器对压缩真空态光场的作用,发现如果分束器的输入光是两束具有同样振幅和相位的单模压缩真空态光场,则输出光为双模压缩真空态光场;若分束器的输入光是两束具有同样振幅但有π相位差的单模压缩真空态光场,则输出光仍为两束单模压缩真空态光场.对于双模压缩真空态光场,每个模中容纳的光子数可以是基数或偶数.而对于单模压缩真空态光场,每个模中只能包含偶数个光子.根据这些结果,提出了一个纠缠转移的方案.在这个方案中,两个纠缠压缩真空态光场被用作量子信道,通过利用光学分束器作用和光子数探测的方法,并在经典通讯的帮助下,实现了三个通讯伙伴之间的纠缠转移.     

All-versus-nothing nonlocality test of quantum mechanics by two-photon hyperentanglement

We report the experimental realization and the characterization of polarization and momentum hyperentangled two-photon states, generated by a new parametric source of correlated photon pairs. By adoption of these states an "all-versus-nothing" test of quantum mechanics was performed. The two-photon hyperentangled states are expected to find at an increasing rate a widespread application in state engineering and quantum information.     

光子两自由度超并行量子计算与超纠缠态操控

光子系统在量子信息处理和传输过程中有非常重要的应用. 譬如, 利用光子与原子(或人工原子)之间的相互作用, 可以完成信息的安全传输、存储和快速的并行计算处理等任务. 光子系统具有多个自由度, 如极化、空间模式、轨道角动量、时间-能量、频率等自由度. 光子系统的多个自由度可以同时应用于量子信息处理过程. 超并行量子计算利用光子系统多个自由度的光量子态同时进行量子并行计算, 使量子计算具有更强的并行性, 且需要的量子资源少, 更能抵抗光子数损耗等噪声的影响. 多个自由度同时存在纠缠的光子系统量子态称为超纠缠态, 它能够提高量子通信的容量与安全性, 辅助完成一些重要的量子通信任务. 在本综述中, 我们简要介绍了光子系统两自由度量子态在量子信息中的一些新应用, 包括超并行量子计算、超纠缠态分析、超纠缠浓缩和纯化三个部分.