Mach–Zehnder interferometer with squeezed and EPR entangled optical fields

We study a scheme for Mach-Zehnder(MZ) interferometer as a quantum linear device by injecting two-mode squeezed input states into two ports of interferometer.Two-mode squeezed states can be changed into two types of inputs for MZ interferometer:two squeezed states and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen(EPR) entangled states.The interference patterns of the MZ interferometer vary periodically as the relative phase of the two arms of the interferometer is scanned,and are measured by the balanced homodyne detection system.Our experiments show that there are different interference patterns and periodicity of the output quantum states for two cases which depend on the relative phase of input optical fields.Since MZ interferometer can be used to realize some quantum operations,this work will have the important applications in quantum information and metrology.     

Passively stabilized single-photon interferometer

A single-photon interferometer is a fundamental element in quantum information science. In most previously reported works, single-photon interferometers use an active feedback locking system to stabilize the relative phase between two arms of the interferometer. Here, we use a pair of beam displacers to construct a passively stable single-photon interferometer. The relative phase stabilization between the two arms is achieved by stabilizing the temperature of the beam displacers. A purely polarized single-photon-level pulse is directed into the interferometer input port. By analyzing and measuring the polarization states of the single-photon pulse at the output port, the achieved polarization fidelity of the interferometer is about 99.1 ±0.1%. Our passively stabilized single-photon interferometer provides a key element for generating high-fidelity entanglement between a photon and atomic memory.     

Theoretical analysis of all-optical clocked D flip-flop using a single SOA assisted symmetric MZI

A novel scheme for an all-optical clocked D flip-flop, with very low complexity, is proposed and numerically demonstrated. This new flip-flop configuration is based on a semiconductor optical amplifier — Mach–Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI), with a feedback loop, and presents two stable states determined by the phase shift between the two MZI arms.     

Investigation of interference field phase distribution with a lateral shearing interferometer

Problems of investigating the interference field are discussed. An investigation method is suggested which is based on using an imperfect plane-parallel plate lateral shearing interferometer for comparing aberrations in the arms of the two-beam interferometer which generates the interference field. It is demonstrated that equipartition of interference field fringes can be analyzed to an accuracy of λ/100 which exceeds the manufacturing accuracy of the lateral shearing interferometer.     

基于绝缘体上硅的一种改进的Mach-Zehnder声光调制器

传统的基于绝缘体上硅的Mach-Zehnder(MZ)声光调制器中,叉指换能器位于两臂的同一侧.为实现高的调制效率,声表面波的波峰和波谷分别调制MZ干涉仪的两臂,这要求控制MZ干涉仪两臂之间的距离为奇数倍声波半波长.但实际上由于传播过程中衬底材料的变化,声波波长会变大,这会导致两臂的间距难以准确设置.另一方面,声波在传播过程中经过MZ干涉仪的一臂后会发生衰减,降低了对另一臂的调制效果,影响了整体的调制效率.本文针对这些问题给出了一种解决方案,把叉指换能器放在MZ波导两臂之间,确保MZ干涉仪两臂到叉指电极中心距离相等.采用有限元法,首先对新提出的结构进行分析,然后通过声光互作用原理得到了材料的折射率变化;进而研究了波导类型、波导宽度、氧化锌厚度及叉指对数等因素对声光调制效率的影响,并对声光调制器的结构参数进行了优化以提高其性能.基于COMSOL Multiphysics的仿真结果表明,当条波导宽度为6μm,氧化锌只覆盖有叉指电极的部分且厚度为2.2μm,控制叉指电极数目为50对时,波导有效折射率变化在驱动电压为1 V时可以达到4.08×10~(-4),比传统结构提高了12%.     

一种基于确定性量子密钥分发误码判据的相位调制器半波电压的精确测定方法

基于相位编码的量子密钥分发系统需要对信息加载的相位调制器的半波电压进行精确的测定以减小量子密钥的误码率,相位调制器半波电压的测量精度直接影响到了量子密钥分发系统的最终误码.本文提出了一种基于确定性量子密钥分发误码率判据的相位调制器半波电压的精确测定方法,所采用相位调制器的半波电压的测量精度达到了2 mV,实验结果表明这种方法可以用于量子密钥分发实际应用系统中实时获得不同条件下的行波相位调制器的半波电压以最大程度地减小由于相位信息不准确加载而带来的系统误码. 关键词： 量子保密通信 相位编码 半波电压 误码率     

Optimal states and almost optimal adaptive measurements for quantum interferometry

We derive the optimal N-photon two-mode input state for obtaining an estimate straight phi of the phase difference between two arms of an interferometer. For an optimal measurement [B. C. Sanders and G. J. Milburn, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2944 (1995)], it yields a variance (Deltastraight phi)(2) approximately pi(2)/N2, compared to O(N-1) or O(N-1/2) for states considered by previous authors. Such a measurement cannot be realized by counting photons in the interferometer outputs. However, we introduce an adaptive measurement scheme that can be thus realized, and show that it yields a variance in straight phi very close to that from an optimal measurement.     

Phase estimation of phase shifts in two arms for an SU(1,1) interferometer with coherent and squeezed vacuum states

We theoretically study the quantum Fisher information(QFI) of the SU(1,1) interferometer with phase shifts in two arms by coherent ? squeezed vacuum state input, and give the comparison with the result of phase shift only in one arm.Different from the traditional Mach–Zehnder interferometer, the QFI of single-arm case for an SU(1,1) interferometer can be slightly higher or lower than that of two-arm case, which depends on the intensities of the two arms of the interferometer.For coherent ? squeezed vacuum state input with a fixed mean photon number, the optimal sensitivity is achieved with a squeezed vacuum input in one mode and the vacuum input in the other.     

Research technique of metamaterials with the controlled effective negative refractive index and their characteristics

A design of the two-beam hybrid microwave interferometer for measuring refractive indices of metamaterials is described. It is based on the branching of radiation using a waveguide directional coupler. Radiations of the interferometer waveguide arms are summed and the phase disbalance of the interferometer arms is counted on the waveguide measuring line. The frequency dispersion of the negative refractive indices of the metamaterial samples with a variable distance between its constituent plates is experimentally investigated. A possibility of controlling the refractive index of a metamaterial is demonstrated.     

Quantum key distribution transmitter chip based on hybrid-integration of silica and lithium niobates

A quantum key distribution transmitter chip based on hybrid-integration of silica planar light-wave circuit (PLC) and lithium niobates (LN) modulator PLC is presented. The silica part consists of a tunable directional coupler and 400-ps delay line, and the LN part is made up of a Y-branch, with electro-optic modulators on both arms. The two parts are facet-coupled to form an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We successfully encode and decode four BB84 states at 156.25-MHz repetition rate. Fast phase-encoding of 0 or $\pi $ is achieved, with interference fringe visibilities 78.53% and 82.68% for states $|+\rangle$ and $|-\rangle$, respectively. With the aid of an extra off-chip LN intensity modulator, two time-bin states are prepared and the extinction ratios are 18.65 dB and 15.46 dB for states $|0\rangle$ and $|1\rangle$, respectively.     

Robust optical systems for nondestructive testing based on laser diodes and diffractiveoptical elements

Two robust systems for vibration measurements are presented. Both systems are based on low-cost laser diodes. The stability of the optical systems is achieved by implementing the optical system as a holographic optical element (HOE) while using a common-path interferometer concept for the measurement scheme. The former system facilitates real-time simultaneous tracking of vibrations about two axes perpendicular to the optical axis. The latter system is an electronic speckle interferometer working in a differential mode providing whole-field information on the angular deformation about one axis between two states of the object. It will be argued that these concepts will provide compact, self-aligning systems for industrial use due to the inherent possibility of mass fabrication.     

切比雪夫光混沌发生器的优化

研究了利用马赫-曾德尔干涉仪来构造扩频序列的设计方法,并对以往提出的切比雪夫光混沌序列发生器的构造原理和方案进行了分析,针对其受到器件尺寸限制的不足,提出了利用余弦函数的性质对其改进的新方案,从而消除了原方案在设计上的局限性.同时通过外加电压对马赫-曾德尔干涉仪两臂折射率的调节增加了波长适应性功能,使得光混沌序列发生器可以在不同的入射波长下得到不同的切比雪夫光混沌序列. 关键词： 切比雪夫映射 混沌序列 Lyapunov指数 光混沌序列发生器     

Absolute metrology by phase and frequency modulation for multiwavelength interferometry

A fiber interferometer for absolute distance measurements is presented whereby wavelength variation is achieved via a sinusoidal strain modulation of a fiber Bragg grating to generate a series of beat wavelengths. The interferometer employs fiber laser sources where the design is based on the use of narrow-bandwidth fiber Bragg gratings. The accuracy of the beat wavelengths is improved compared to the use of multiple wavelengths measured with conventional optical spectrum analyzers or available wavemeters. Initial measurements are presented for beat wavelengths of 254.74 mm and 27.4 m over an optical path difference of 200 mm and 3.8 m, respectively. Combined with a two (or three) wavelength interferometer, this technique has the potential for ultrahigh dynamic range metrology ranging over several meters while preserving subfringe resolution and a low system complexity.     

一种基于光学倍乘原理的绝对距离干涉测量系统

介绍了一个基于光学倍乘原理的绝对距离干涉测量系统。系统包括两个干涉仪:采用半导体激光器作为光源的定位干涉仪和测量位移的外差干涉仪。介绍了光源的选择,系统的设计以及信号的采集和处理方案。采用这套绝对测量系统,可以实现长度为2m以内的绝对距离测量,定位精度可以达到±0.5μm。     

Many-wavelength interferometry with thousands of lasers for absolute distance measurement

We demonstrate a new technique for absolute distance measurement with a femtosecond frequency comb laser, based on unraveling the output of an interferometer to distinct comb modes with 1?GHz spacing. From the fringe patterns that are captured with a camera, a distance is derived by combining spectral and homodyne interferometry, exploiting about 9000 continuous wave lasers. This results in a measurement accuracy far within an optical fringe (λ/30), combined with a large range of nonambiguity (15?cm). Our technique merges multiwavelength interferometry and spectral interferometry, within a single scheme.     

Dispersive Fourier-transform spectroscopy of surface plasmons in the infrared frequency range

The optical scheme and the principle of operation of an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer for dispersive spectroscopy of surface IR plasmons are discussed. A thin-layer sample deposited on a conducting substrate, which guides surface plasmons, is placed in one of the arms of the interferometer. This makes it possible, by applying a complete Fourier transform to the interferogram, to obtain the spectrum of the complex refractive index of surface plasmons and, therefore, of the complex dielectric permittivity of the sample or the substrate material.     

激光调频连续波测距的精度评定方法研究

基于双光纤光路等光频重采样原理,提出了一种距离精度的评定方法.通过推导噪声背景下等光频重采样信号中距离参量的克拉美-罗下边界,得到了影响系统测距精度的两个重要因素:信噪比和扫描带宽,并进行了实验验证.实验表明,该评价方法并不会受到任何距离估算方法的影响,根据此方法可以选择一个最优的距离估算方法.通过对两个影响精度的因素进行仿真分析可知,在扫描带宽为2.2 nm时,若将测量光路的信噪比提升至70 dB以上,系统可获得低于10μm的测距精度.该精度评定方法可为后续改善调频连续波测距系统性能提供理论参考.     

A New Superposition of Two Coherent States and its Quantum Properties

We investigate a new superposition of two coherent states via conditional measurement on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). The resulted output state is obtained by using the superposition of two opposite coherent states with the arbitrary relative phase factors for the a-mode and vacuum state in the b-mode. It is shown that the angle of the phase shifter between the two arms of the MZI is a very important parameter in this new state.

     

Atom Michelson interferometer on a chip using a Bose-Einstein condensate

An atom Michelson interferometer is implemented on an "atom chip." The chip uses lithographically patterned conductors and external magnetic fields to produce and guide a Bose-Einstein condensate. Splitting, reflecting, and recombining of condensate atoms are achieved by a standing-wave light field having a wave vector aligned along the atom waveguide. A differential phase shift between the two arms of the interferometer is introduced by either a magnetic-field gradient or with an initial condensate velocity. Interference contrast is still observable at 20% with an atom propagation time of 10 ms.     

双波长绝对距离外差干涉仪的研究

提出了一种采用双纵模稳频激光器的新型绝对距离测量外差干涉仪。该干涉仪探测两个波长各自的外差信号, 通过测量两信号的相位差, 直接测量出合成波的小数级次。指出了两波长间的相互耦合对测量精度的影响, 提出了补偿方法, 在２５ ｍ 的测量范围取得了 １４０ μｍ 的测量精度。