Single photon frequency up-conversion and its applications

Optical frequency up-conversion is a technique, based on sum frequency generation in a non-linear optical medium, in which signal light from one frequency (wavelength) is converted to another frequency. By using this technique, near infrared light can be converted to light in the visible or near visible range and therefore detected by commercially available visible detectors with high efficiency and low noise. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has adapted the frequency up-conversion technique to develop highly efficient and sensitive single photon detectors and a spectrometer for use at telecommunication wavelengths. The NIST team used these single photon up-conversion detectors and spectrometer in a variety of pioneering research projects including the implementation of a quantum key distribution system; the demonstration of a detector with a temporal resolution beyond the jitter limitation of commercial single photon detectors; the characterization of an entangled photon pair source, including a direct spectrum measurement for photons generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion; the characterization of single photons from quantum dots including the measurement of carrier lifetime with escalated high accuracy and the demonstration of the converted quantum dot photons preserving their non-classical features; the observation of 2nd, 3rd and 4th order temporal correlations of near infrared single photons from coherent and pseudo-thermal sources following frequency up-conversion; a study on the time-resolving measurement capability of the detectors using a short pulse pump and; evaluating the modulation of a single photon wave packet for better interfacing of independent sources. In this article, we will present an overview of the frequency up-conversion technique, introduce its applications in quantum information systems and discuss its unique features and prospects for the future.     

Laser radiation effects on optical absorptions and refractive index in a quantum dot

An investigation of the laser radiation effects of a hydrogenic impurity in a quantum dot has been performed by using the matrix diagonalization method. We find that the laser field amplitude has an important influence on the linear, third-order nonlinear, and total absorption coefficients as well as the refractive index changes.     

Diagonal entropy in many-body systems: Volume effect and quantum phase transitions

We investigate the diagonal entropy(DE) of the ground state for quantum many-body systems, including the XY model and the Ising model with next nearest neighbor interactions. We focus on the DE of a subsystem of L continuous spins. We show that the DE in many-body systems, regardless of integrability, can be represented as a volume term plus a logarithmic correction and a constant offset. Quantum phase transition points can be explicitly identified by the three coefficients thereof. Besides, by combining entanglement entropy and the relative entropy of quantum coherence, as two celebrated representatives of quantumness, we simply obtain the DE, which naturally has the potential to reveal the information of quantumness. More importantly, the DE is concerning only the diagonal form of the ground state reduced density matrix, making it feasible to measure in real experiments, and therefore it has immediate applications in demonstrating quantum supremacy on state-of-the-art quantum simulators.     

Exciton states and optical absorption in quantum wires under laser radiation

We analyze the exciton states in a quantum wire under intense laser radiation. Electrons and holes are confined by the parabolic potential of the quantum wire. An exactly solvable model is introduced for calculating the exciton binding energy, replacing the actual Coulomb interaction between the electron and the hole by a projective operator.     

Developments in quantum information processing by nuclear magnetic resonance: Use of quadrupolar and dipolar couplings

Use of dipolar and quadrupolar couplings for quantum information processing (QIP) by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is described. In these cases, instead of the individual spins being qubits, the 2 ⁿ energy levels of the spin-system can be treated as an n-qubit system. It is demonstrated that QIP in such systems can be carried out using transition-selective pulses, in CH₃CN, ¹³CH₃CN, ⁷Li (I=3/2) and ¹³³Cs (I=7/2), oriented in liquid crystals yielding 2 and 3 qubit systems. Creation of pseudopure states, implementation of logic gates and arithmetic operations (half-adder and subtractor) have been carried out in these systems using transition-selective pulses.     

Cavity quantum networks for quantum information processing in decoherence-free subspace

We give a brief review on the quantum information processing in decoherence-free subspace (DFS). We show how to realize the initialization of the entangled quantum states, information transfer and teleportation of quantum states, two-qubit Grover search and how to construct the quantum network in DFS, within the cavity QED regime based on a cavity-assisted interaction by single-photon pulses.      

Temporal inequalities for sequential multi-time actions in quantum information processing

A new kind of temporal inequalities are discussed, which apply to algorithmic processes, involving a finite memory processing unit. They are an alternative to the Leggett-Grag ones, as well as to the modified ones by Brukner et al. If one considers comparison of quantum anti classical processes involving systems of finite memory （of the same capacity in both cases）, the inequalities give a clear message why we can expect quantum speed-up. In a classical process one always has clearly defined values of possible measurements, or in terms of the information processing language, if we have a sequential computations of some function depending on data arriving at each step on an algorithm, the function always has a clearly defined value. In the quantum case only the final value, after the end of the algorithm, is defined. All intermediate values, in agreement with Bohr＇s complementarity, cannot be ascribed a definite value.     

Hadamard NMR spectroscopy for two-dimensional quantum information processing and parallel search algorithms

Hadamard spectroscopy has earlier been used to speed-up multi-dimensional NMR experiments. In this work, we speed-up the two-dimensional quantum computing scheme, by using Hadamard spectroscopy in the indirect dimension, resulting in a scheme which is faster and requires the Fourier transformation only in the direct dimension. Two and three qubit quantum gates are implemented with an extra observer qubit. We also use one-dimensional Hadamard spectroscopy for binary information storage by spatial encoding and implementation of a parallel search algorithm.     

Quantum theory of continuous measurements and its applications in quantum optics

We present an overview of the quantum theory of continuous measurements and discuss some of its important applications in quantum optics. Quantum theory of continuous measurements is the appropriate generalization of the conventional formulation of quantum theory, which is adequate to deal with counting experiments where a detector monitors a system continuously over an interval of time and records the times of occurrence of a given type of event, such as the emission or arrival of a particle. We first discuss the classical theory of counting processes and indicate how one arrives at the celebrated photon counting formula of Mandel for classical optical fields. We then discuss the inadequacies of the so called quantum Mandel formula. We explain how the unphysical results that arise from the quantum Mandel formula are due to the fact that the formula is obtained on the basis of an erroneous identification of the coincidence probability densities associated with a continuous measurement situation. We then summarize the basic framework of the quantum theory of continuous measurements as developed by Davies. We explain how a complete characterization of the counting process can be achieved by specifying merely the measurement transformation associated with the change in the state of the system when a single event is observed in an infinitesimal interval of time. In order to illustrate the applications of the quantum theory of continuoius measurements in quantum optics, we first derive the photon counting probabilities of a single-mode free field and also of a single-mode field in interaction with an external source. We then discuss the general quantum counting formula of Chmara for a multi-mode electromagnetic field coupled to an external source. We explain how the Chmara counting formula is indeed the appropriate quantum generalization of the classical Mandel formula. To illustrate the fact that the quantum theory of continuous measurements has other diverse applications in quantum optics, besides the theory of photodetection, we summarize the theory of ‘quantum jumps’ developed by Zoller, Marte and Walls and Barchielli, where the continuous measurements framework is employed to evaluate the statistics of photon emission events in the resonance fluorescence of an atomic system.     

相干与信息守恒及其在Mach-Zehnder干涉中的应用

自量子力学诞生以来,相干性和互补性一直是被广泛而深入研究的两个重要课题.随着量子信息近年来的发展,人们引入了若干度量来定量地刻画相干性和互补性.本文建立两个信息守恒关系式,分别基于"Bures距离-保真度"和"对称-非对称",并且利用它们来刻画相干性和互补性.具体来说,首先从信息守恒的观点解释Bures距离和保真度的互补关系,并由此自然推导出Mach-Zehnder干涉仪中的Englert"干涉-路径"互补关系.其次在量子态和信道相互作用的一般框架中讨论"对称-非对称"信息守恒关系,并揭示其与Bohr互补性和量子相干性的内在联系.最后,在Mach-Zehnder干涉仪中探讨相干、退相干及互补性,刻画两个信息守恒关系之间的密切联系.     

约化密度矩阵及其在量子信息处理中的应用

密度矩阵在量子力学中主要是扩展了态矢量的概念.约化密度矩阵是通过对整个系统中的密度矩阵的某一子系求部分迹得到的.本文首先介绍了约化密度矩阵的定义,然后指出约化密度矩阵在纠缠态的定义、两体系统中量子纠缠的度量、系统与环境耦合造成的退相干的物理机制等量子信息前沿领域方面的应用.     

Photostability comparison of CdTe and CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots in living cells under single and two-photon excitations

The photostability is an outstanding feature of quantum dots (QDs) used as fluorescence probes in biological staining and cell imaging. To find out the related factors in the QD photostability, the photobleaching of naked CdTe QDs and BSA coated CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs in human hepatocellular carcinoma (QGY) cells and human nasopharynx carcinoma (KB) cells were studied under single photon excitation (SPE) and two-photon excitation (TPE). In these two cell lines the cellular QDs were irradiated by a 405 nm continuous wave laser for SPE or an 800 nm femto-second (fs) laser for TPE. The QD photobleaching with the irradiation time was found to fit a biexponential decay. The fast decay plays a dominant role in the bleaching course and thus can be used as the parameter to quantitatively evaluate the QD photostability. The TPE decreased the QD photobleaching as compared to SPE. The BSA coated core/shell QDs had improved the photostability up to 4-5 times than the naked QDs due to the shielding effect of the QD shell. Therefore, it is better to use core/shell structured QDs as the fluorescence probe combining with a TPE manner for those long-term monitoring studies.     

A comparative study of local quantum Fisher information and local quantum uncertainty in Heisenberg XY model

Recently, it has been shown that the quantum Fisher information via local observables and via local measurements (i.e., local quantum Fisher information (LQFI)) is a central concept in quantum estimation and quantum metrology and captures the quantumness of correlations in multi-component quantum system (Kim et al. (2018) [28]). This new discord-like measure is very similar to the quantum correlations measure called local quantum uncertainty (LQU). In the present study, we have revealed that LQU is bounded by LQFI in the phase estimation protocol. Also, a comparative study between these two quantum correlations quantifiers is addressed for the quantum Heisenberg XY model. Two distinct situations are considered. The first one concerns the anisotropic XY model and the second situation concerns isotropic XY model submitted to an external magnetic field. Our results confirm that LQFI reveals more quantum correlations than LQU.     

Micro traps for quantum information processing and precision force sensing

We review recent experimental progress towards quantum information processing and precision force sensing using neutral atoms in micro traps. Microscopic potential structures as generated by optical or electronic microstructures (micro traps) allow for a versatile manipulation of quantum states of atoms and of ultracold atomic quantum gases. Most recent experimental results include the implementation of single‐qubit‐operations in both, optical and magnetic micro traps, as well as in the demonstration of matter‐wave interferometer using Bose‐Einstein condensates coherently split in micro traps.     

Storage and retrieval of coherent optical information in atomic populations

We propose a simple and powerful protocol to map an arbitrary atomic coherence between two quantum states into a population distribution of three metastable states, and later to retrieve the atomic coherence from the population distribution. The protocol applies simple sequences of radiation pulses with arbitrary temporal profile, either as coincident or as consecutive pulses. Mapping of rather short-lived atomic coherences into very long-lived atomic populations permits the prolongation of storage times (e.g. of optical information encoded in atomic coherences) by many orders of magnitude — without the need for complicated techniques to reduce homogeneous broadenings.     

Controlled waveguide coupling for photon emission from colloidal PbS quantum dot using tunable microcavity made of optical polymer and silicon

A tunable microcavity device composed of optical polymer and Si with a colloidal quantum dot (QD) is proposed as a single-photon source for planar optical circuit. Cavity size is controlled by electrostatic micromachine behavior with the air bridge structure to tune timing of photon injection into optical waveguide from QD. Three-dimensional positioning of a QD in the cavity structure is available using a nanohole on Si processed by scanning probe microscope lithography. We fabricated the prototype microcavity with PbS-QD-mixed polymenthyl methacrylate on a SOI (semiconductor-on-insulator) substrate to show the tunability of cavity size as the shift of emission peak wavelength of QD ensemble.     

Fisher information,Rényi entropy power and quantum phase transition in the Dicke model

Fisher information, Rényi entropy power and Fisher–Rényi information product are presented for the Dicke model. There is a quantum phase transition in this quantum optical model. It is pointed out that there is an abrupt change in the Fisher information, Rényi entropy power, the Fisher, Shannon and Rényi lengths at the transition point. It is found that these quantities diverge as the characteristic length: |_λc−λ|^−1/4${|{\lambda }_c-\lambda |}^{-1/4}$ around the critical value of the coupling strength _λc${\lambda }_c$ for any value of the parameter β$\beta$.     

Theory of the Robin quantum wall in a linear potential. I. Energy spectrum,polarization and quantum‐information measures

Information‐theoretical concepts are employed for the analysis of the interplay between a transverse electric field applied to a one‐dimensional surface and Robin boundary condition (BC), which with the help of the extrapolation length Λ zeroes at the interface a linear combination of the quantum mechanical wave function and its spatial derivative, and its influence on the properties of the structure. For doing this, exact analytical solutions of the corresponding Schrödinger equation are derived and used for calculating energies, dipole moments, position and momentum quantum information entropies and their Fisher information and and Onicescu information energies and counterparts. It is shown that the weak (strong) electric field changes the Robin wall into the Dirichlet, (Neumann, ), surface. This transformation of the energy spectrum and associated waveforms in the growing field defines an evolution of the quantum‐information measures; for example, it is proved that for the Dirichlet and Neumann BCs the position (momentum) quantum information entropy varies as a positive (negative) natural logarithm of the electric intensity what results in their field‐independent sum . Analogously, at and the position and momentum Fisher informations (Onicescu energies) depend on the applied voltage as () and its inverse, respectively, leading to the field‐independent product (). Peculiarities of their transformations at the finite nonzero Λ are discussed and similarities and differences between the three quantum‐information measures in the electric field are highlighted with the special attention being paid to the configuration with the negative extrapolation length.

     

Butterfly interconnection networks and their applications in Walsh-Hadamard transform-based information processing and optical computing

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