Sub-shot-noise high-sensitivity spectroscopy with optical parametric oscillator twin beams

Nondegenerate optical parametric oscillators generate above-threshold signal and idler beams that have intensity fluctuations correlated at the quantum level (twin beams). We describe what is to our knowledge the first high-sensitivity spectroscopy experiment using twin beams emitted by a cw optical parametric oscillator: a very weak two-photon absorption signal, in the 10(-7) range, is recorded on the 4S(1/2)-5S(1/2) transition of atomic potassium with a noise background that is reduced by 1.9 dB with respect to the shot-noise limit of the light used in the experiment.     

在热压缩态中测量相位算符的涨落

利用热场动力学的方法计算了热压缩态中测量相位算符的涨落，引入了两种类型的基础量子涨落，一种是与测量相位的两个正交分量相联系，另一种是与一个测量相位分量和光子数相联系。由此，研究了热压缩压中测量相位涨落的两种压缩及其与温度的关系。     

Conditional preparation of a quantum state in the continuous variable regime: generation of a sub-Poissonian state from twin beams

We report the first experimental demonstration of conditional preparation of a nonclassical state of light in the continuous variable regime. Starting from a nondegenerate optical parametric oscillator which generates above threshold quantum intensity correlated signal and idler "twin beams," we keep the recorded values of the signal intensity only when the idler intensity falls inside a band narrower than its standard deviation. By this very simple technique, we generate a sub-Poissonian state 4.4 dB (64%) below shot noise from twin beams exhibiting 7.5 dB (82%) of noise reduction in the intensity difference.     

Continuous-wave quantum nondemolition measurements with vacuum and nonclassical meter input

QND measurements of the amplitude quadrature of continuous-wave light are performed with a monolithic dual-port degenerate optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Operated with a vacuum meter input, both output beams are squeezed and 33% correlated, demonstrating individually squeezed twin beams. The sum of the signal and meter transfer coefficients is 1.05, demonstrating operation as a quantum optical tap. The device exhibits quantum state preparation ability for both signal and meter output, reaching the conditional variances of dB and dB, respectively. An improved quantum measurement is realized by injecting 3.4 dB amplitude-squeezed light into the meter input port of the OPA. This achieves increased correlation and squeezing of the output beams, and both improved operation as a quantum optical tap and as a quantum state preparator. The all-solid-state system was operated for up to 5 hours with high stability. Received: 25 July 1996     

Investigation of the photon-number statistics of twin beams by direct detection

We present the results of an experiment in which we observed photon-number statistics of twin beams emerging from a nondegenerate optical parametric oscillator. We generated the photocurrent for recording by detecting the light and mixing it with a standard electrical oscillator. The measured photocurrent variances exhibited a quantum correlation of as much as -4.9 dB between signal and idler, whereas their photon number distributions were super-Poissonian. We also obtained the difference photon-number distribution.     

Delocalized correlations in twin light beams with orbital angular momentum

We generate intensity-difference-squeezed Laguerre-Gauss twin beams of light carrying orbital angular momentum by using four-wave mixing in a hot atomic vapor. The conservation of orbital angular momentum in the four-wave mixing process is studied as well as the spatial distribution of the quantum correlations obtained with different configurations of orbital angular momentum. Intensity-difference squeezing of up to -6.7 dB is demonstrated with beams carrying orbital angular momentum. Delocalized spatial correlations between the twin beams are observed.     

利用非平衡光纤Mach-Zehnder干涉仪探测频率非简并纠缠态光场

采用两对光纤构成的非平衡Mach-Zehnder干涉仪,对非简并光学参量振荡腔产生的20mW频率非简并孪生光束间的强度差与位相和的关联噪声进行测量,在分析频率为2MHz处测得关联噪声分别低于散粒噪声基准31和13dB,从实验上证实了在较低分析频率处孪生光束之间有较高量子纠缠. 关键词： 光学参量振荡腔 孪生光束 光纤Mach-Zehnder干涉仪     

Transfer of intensity quantum correlation with twin beams

We demonstrate experimentally a protocol of transferring nonclassical quantum properties using two pairs of quantum-correlated twin beams in the continuous variable regime. The intensity quantum correlation from one twin beam is transferred to two initially independent idler beams with the help of a displacement transformation. It makes two originally independent beams exhibit an intensity quantum correlation of 0.8 dB below shot-noise level.     

Generation of non classical states of light by phase conjugation and parametric conversion

It is shown that oscillators using nearly degenerate parametric conversion or four-wave mixing in the phase conjugation geometry generate pairs of highly correlated photons. The intensity difference of the two corresponding light beams is then expected to be below the shot noise limit. This property can be used to produce intensity stabilized light beams below the quantum limit. The phases of the twin beams also exhibit interesting correlation properties which will be discussed. Moreover, the combination of the twin beams gives a squeezed state, which has been observed by other authors when the device is below the oscillation threshold. We will describe preliminary results of experiments performedabove oscillation threshold.     

Quantum information processing in optical images

Optical images can be used to transport, store and process information in a parallel way. We discuss different results obtained in the domain of ‘quantum imaging’, aiming at exploiting at the same time the quantum properties of optical images and their intrinsic parallelism. We define the notion of standard quantum limit (SQL) in optical resolution, set by the quantum noise of usual coherent light, and show that it can be much lower than the diffraction limit. We also prove that this limit can be circumvented by especially designed nonclassical and multimode light. We present an experiment showing that OPOs oscillating inside an exactly confocal cavity actually produce such transverse multimode nonclassical light. We finally describe another experiment which has surpassed the SQL in the case of beam positioning, both in the 1D and 2D cases.     

连续变量纠缠态光场在光纤中传输特性的实验研究

连续变量纠缠态由于其确定性产生、高效率的特点而被广泛应用于连续变量量子信息处理.在量子信息处理过程中纠缠态与量子信道发生相互作用而退相干,这是限制长距离量子信息发展的重要因素之一.光纤信道作为理想的量子信道,是目前连续变量量子信息研究关注的热点.本文利用Ⅱ类匹配的楔角极化磷酸氧钛钾晶体构成了三共振的非简并光学参量放大器,获得了8.3 dB的光通信波段1.5μm连续变量纠缠态光场.将产生的纠缠态光场注入单模光纤,其量子特性在传输距离达50 km后仍得到保持,纠缠度为0.21dB.该研究可为基于光纤的长距离连续变量量子信息研究提供有效的依据.     

基于量子增强型光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪的低频信号测量

利用低频光通信波段真空压缩态光场可实现基于光纤的量子精密测量.本文利用简并光学参量振荡器实验制备出1550 nm低频真空压缩态光场.在分析频段10—500 kHz范围内压缩态光场的压缩度均达3 dB.用实验制备的1550 nm真空压缩态光场填补光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪的真空通道,实现了量子增强型光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪,完成了突破标准量子极限的相位调制频率为500 kHz的低频信号测量.与光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪相比,测量信噪比提高了2 dB.     

The parity operator in quantum optical metrology

Photon number states are assigned a parity of +1 if their photon number is even and a parity of ?1 if odd. The parity operator, which is minus one to the power of the photon number operator, is a Hermitian operator and thus a quantum mechanical observable although it has no classical analogue, the concept being meaningless in the context of classical light waves. In this paper we review work on the application of the parity operator to the problem of quantum metrology for the detection of small phase shifts with quantum optical interferometry using highly entangled field states such as the so-called N00N states, and states obtained by injecting twin Fock states into a beam splitter. With such states and with the performance of parity measurements on one of the output beams of the interferometer, one can breach the standard quantum limit, or shot-noise limit, of sensitivity down to the Heisenberg limit, the greatest degree of phase sensitivity allowed by quantum mechanics for linear phase shifts. Heisenberg limit sensitivities are expected to eventually play an important role in attempts to detect gravitational waves in interferometric detection systems such as LIGO and VIRGO.     

Generation of twin beams from an optical parametric oscillator pumped by a frequency-doubled diode laser

Quantum-correlated twin beams were generated from a triply resonant optical parametric oscillator with an a-cut KTP crystal pumped by a frequency-doubled diode laser. A total output of 5.1 mW was obtained in the classical-nonclassical light-conversion system driven by a 50-mW diode laser at 1080 nm. A quantum-noise reduction of 4.3 dB (63%) in the intensity difference between the twin beams was successfully observed at the detection frequency of 3 MHz.     

连续变量无条件纠缠交换 --纠缠态的量子离物传送

利用自行设计的两台非简并光学参量放大器，获得了一对具有经典相干性且量子起伏相互独立的连续变量纠缠态光场，并用它完成了连续变量的无条件纠缠交换，即纠缠态的量子离物传送．通过联合贝尔态探测与纠缠塌缩，使两个初始不纠缠而又从未发生过直接相互作用的光场产生了量子纠缠，其正交振幅和位相分量的量子起伏关联方差被直接测量，其测量值分别低于散离噪声极限1．23dB和1．12dB．理论计算与实验结果基本符合．     

Quantum improvement of time transfer between remote clocks

Exchanging light pulses to perform accurate space-time positioning is a paradigmatic issue of physics. It is ultimately limited by the quantum nature of light, which introduces fluctuations in the optical measurements and leads to the so-called standard quantum limit (SQL). We propose a new scheme combining homodyne detection and mode-locked femtosecond lasers that lead to a new SQL in time transfer, potentially reaching the yoctosecond range (10(-21)-10(-24) s). We demonstrate that this already very low SQL can be overcome using appropriately multimode squeezed light. Benefitting from the large number of photons and from the optimal choice of both the detection strategy and of the quantum resource, the proposed scheme represents a significant potential improvement in space-time positioning.     

Sub-shot-noise heterodyne polarimetry

We report an experimental demonstration of a heterodyne polarization rotation measurement with a noise floor 4.8 dB below the optical shot noise by use of classically phase-locked quantum twin beams emitted above threshold by an ultrastable type II Na:KTP cw optical parametric oscillator. We believe that this is the largest noise reduction achieved to date in optical phase-difference measurements.     

Second-order temporal interference of two independent light beams at an asymmetrical beam splitter

The second-order temporal interference of classical and nonclassical light at an asymmetrical beam splitter is discussed based on two-photon interference in Feynman's path integral theory. The visibility of the second-order interference pattern is determined by the properties of the superposed light beams, the ratio between the intensities of these two light beams, and the reflectivity of the asymmetrical beam splitter. Some requirements about the asymmetrical beam splitter have to be satisfied in order to ensure that the visibility of the second-order interference pattern of nonclassical light beams exceeds the classical limit. The visibility of the second-order interference pattern of photons emitted by two independent single-photon sources is independent of the ratio between the intensities. These conclusions are important for the researches and applications in quantum optics and quantum information when an asymmetrical beam splitter is employed.     

Observation of twin-beam-type quantum correlation in optical fiber

We report generation of pulsed twin beams of light through optical parametric amplification in a fiber Sagnac loop. By pumping the Sagnac loop with picosecond pulses at a wavelength near the zero-dispersion wavelength of the fiber, we achieve phase-matched nondegenerate four-wave mixing with gain. For a gain of 2.2, the intensity noises of the amplified signal and the generated idler (conjugate) pulses are found to be correlated by 5.0 dB, and the subtracted noise drops below the shot-noise limit by 1.1 dB (2.6 dB when corrected for losses). We have investigated the gain dependence of the quantum-noise reduction as well as of the intensity noises of the amplified signal and idler pulses. As the gain increases, we observe the onset of excess noise on the idler pulses.     

基于压缩光的量子精密测量

对任何物理量的测量都有一定的噪声, 经典测量所能达到的最小噪声一般称为散粒噪声, 对应着测量的标准量子极限. 利用压缩光可以突破标准量子极限, 从而提高测量精度. 本文介绍了压缩态光场用于突破标准量子极限的基本原理, 以及压缩态光场在相位测量、光学横向小位移及倾斜测量、磁场测量以及时钟同步等精密测量领域的应用和最新进展.