Study of the effect of pump focusing on the performance of ghost imaging and ghost diffraction,based on spontaneous parametric downconversion

We study the effects of ghost imaging (GI) and ghost diffraction (GD), based on spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) photon-pair sources. In particular, we focus on the effect of pump focusing in the SPDC process, on GI and GD. Our theory presented in this paper includes the cases of frequency-degenerate and frequency non-degenerate SPDC. We show analytically, and confirm through numerical simulations, that pump focusing degrades the performance of GI and GD, and for a sufficient focusing strength can altogether suppress these effects.     

基于Ⅱ类周期极化铌酸锂波导的通信波段小型化频率纠缠源产生及其量子特性测量

自发参量下转换过程制备的纠缠光源在量子光学及其相关领域有着广泛的应用.本文利用780 nm的分布式布拉格反射镜激光二极管抽运一块长10 mm的Ⅱ类准相位匹配的周期极化铌酸锂波导,产生了偏振正交的频率反关联纠缠光子对.通过实验结果与理论的完美结合得到,当进入波导的抽运光功率为44.9 mW时,下转换双光子对的产生速率为1.87×10~7s~(-1).利用单色仪对下转换光子的频谱进行分析,得到信号和闲置光子的中心波长分别为1561.43 nm和1561.45 nm,频谱宽度为3.62 nm和3.60 nm,双光子符合包络宽度约为3.18 nm,可以得到双光子的频率纠缠度为1.131.00,表征了双光子的频率纠缠特性.利用Hong-Ou-Mandel干涉仪测量双光子的二阶量子干涉特性,测得的干涉可见度为96.1%,干涉图谱的凹陷宽度为1.47 ps.     

基于PPKTP波导产生多通道光子对

提出了一种基于PPKTP波导利用自发参量产生多通道纠缠光子对的方案.计算在使用脉冲,连续激光,Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型相位匹配这些不同条件下,同时产生位于通信波段的多通道纠缠光子对的特性.结果显示该方案能够为量子密钥分配网络提供更为高效易行的方案.     

Ghost imaging with broad distance

We present a scheme that is able to achieve the ghost imaging with broad distance. The physical nature of our scheme is that the different wavelength beams are separated in free space by an optical media according to the slow light or dispersion principle. Meanwhile, the equality of the optical distance of the two light arms is not violated. The photon correlation is achieved by the rotating ground glass plate(RGGP) and spatial light modulator(SLM), respectively. Our work shows that a monochromic ghost image can be obtained in the case of RGGP. More importantly, the position(or distance) of the object can be ascertained by the color of the image. Thus, the imaging and ranging processes are combined as one process for the first time to the best of our knowledge. In the case of SLM, we can obtain a colored image regardless of where the object is.     

基于统计光学的无透镜鬼成像数值模拟与实验验证

作为量子信息领域分支的鬼成像,由于物体的像将出现在不包含物体的光路上的特点,使得这一领域的研究引人入胜。一度认为,只有基于纠缠态双光子的纠缠光源,才能实现鬼成像;但近年来的研究表明,经典热光场也能实现这一过程。从经典统计光学入手,建立了热光场的数值模型,模拟符合热光特性的光场变化、光场传播、以及物体透射函数对热光场的调制,进而从光强度起伏的关联函数中,分别重现振幅型物体和纯相位型物体的傅里叶变换图像;通过与真实实验结果的对比,表明基于统计光学原理的该数值模型所预测的实验结果,与真实的实验结果完全一致。     

Imaging a periodic moving/state-changed object with Hadamard-based computational ghost imaging

We propose a method for imaging a periodic moving/state-changed object based on computational ghost imaging with Hadamard speckle patterns and a slow bucket detector, named as PO-HCGI. In the scheme, speckle patterns are produced from a part of each row of a Hadamard matrix. Then, in each cycle, multiple speckle patterns are projected onto the periodic moving/state-changed object, and a bucket detector with a slow sampling rate records the total intensities reflected from the object as one measurement. With a series of measurements, the frames of the moving/state-changed object can be obtained directly by the second-order correlation function based on the Hadamard matrix and the corresponding bucket detector measurement results. The experimental and simulation results demonstrate the validity of the PO-HCGI. To the best of our knowledge, PO-HCGI is the first scheme that can image a fast periodic moving/state-changed object by computational ghost imaging with a slow bucket detector.     

Lensless ghost imaging through the strongly scattering medium

Lensless ghost imaging has attracted much interest in recent years due to its profound physics and potential applications. In this paper we report studies of the robust properties of the lensless ghost imaging system with a pseudo-thermal light source in a strongly scattering medium. The effects of the positions of the strong medium on the ghost imaging are investigated. In the lensless ghost imaging system, a pseudo-thermal light is split into two correlated beams by a beam splitter. One beam goes to a charge-coupled detector camera, labeled as CCD2. The other beam goes to an object and then is collected in another charge-coupled detector camera, labeled as CCD1, which serves as a bucket detector. When the strong medium, a pane of ground glass disk, is placed between the object and CCD1, the bucket detector, the quality of ghost imaging is barely affected and a good image could still be obtained. The quality of the ghost imaging can also be maintained, even when the ground glass is rotating, which is the strongest scattering medium so far. However, when the strongly scattering medium is present in the optical path from the light source to CCD2 or the object, the lensless ghost imaging system hardly retrieves the image of the object. A theoretical analysis in terms of the second-order correlation function is also provided.     

基于PPKTP波导产生多通道光子对

提出了一种基于PPKTP波导利用自发参量产生多通道纠缠光子对的方案.计算在使用脉冲,连续激光,Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型相位匹配这些不同条件下,同时产生位于通信波段的多通道纠缠光子对的特性.结果显示该方案能够为量子密钥分配网络提供更为高效易行的方案.     

Random delayed-choice quantum eraser via two-photon imaging

We report on a delayed-choice quantum eraser experiment based on a two-photon imaging scheme using entangled photon pairs. After the detection of a photon which passed through a double-slit, a random delayed choice is made to erase or not erase the which-path information by the measurement of its distant entangled twin; the particle-like and wave-like behavior of the photon are then recorded simultaneously and respectively by only one set of joint detection devices. The present eraser takes advantage of two-photon imaging. The complete which-path information of a photon is transferred to its distant entangled twin through a “ghost" image. The choice is made on the Fourier transform plane of the ghost image between reading “complete information" or “partial information" of the double-path.     

实验研究探测器大小与散焦长度对无透镜鬼衍射的影响

无透镜鬼衍射是一种特殊的非局域关联成像技术,通过对包含物体信息的测试光路和不含物体信息的参考光路的光场强度涨落关联进行测量,在参考光路上可得到物体的衍射图样。利用赝热光源实验研究了探测器尺寸大小和光路散焦长度对无透镜鬼衍射质量的影响。实验以四缝物体为例,定量研究了探测器大小和散焦是如何改变无透镜鬼衍射的成像结果,并和理论模拟进行了比较,获得了比较一致的结果。利用图像相关度定量分析了实验结果与理想无透镜鬼衍射图像的差别,发现这两者都会使无透镜鬼衍射的质量变差。     

Random nonlinear layered structures as sources of photon pairs for quantum-information processing

Random nonlinear layered structures have been found to be a useful source of photon pairs with perfectly indistinguishable un-entangled photons emitted into a very narrow spectral range. Localization of the interacting optical fields typical for random structures gives relatively high photon-pair fluxes. By superposing photon-pair emission quantum paths at different emission angles, several kinds of twophoton states (including states with coincident frequencies) useful in quantum-information processing can easily be generated.     

Multi-Path Ghost Imaging by Means of an Additional Time Correlation

Ghost imaging functions achieved by means of the spatial correlations between two photons is a new modality in imaging systems. With a small number of photons, ghost imaging is usually realized based on the position correlation of photon pairs produced from the spontaneous parametric down-conversion process. Here we demonstrate a way to realize multi-path ghost imaging by introducing an additional time correlation. Different delays of paths will induce the shift of the coincidence peak, which carries the information about objects. By choosing the suitable coincidence window, we obtain images of three objects simultaneously, with a visibility of 87.2%.This method provides insights and techniques into multi-parameter ghost imaging. It can be applied to other correlated imaging systems, for example, quantum spiral imaging.     

On the distribution of 1550-nm photon pairs efficiently generated using a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

We report on efficient generation of 1550-nm photon pairs in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide using the spontaneous parametric down-conversion process. Such photon pairs are expected to find applications in fiber-based long-distance quantum communication. Pumping the waveguide with a pulsed semiconductor laser with a pulse rate of 800 kHz and a maximum average pump power of 50 μW, we obtain a coincidence rate of 600 s⁻¹. Despite only two single-photon detectors are used, we gain some information about the photon-number distribution. Our measurements are found to be in agreement with a Poissonian photon-pair distribution, but clearly differ from the expected outcomes for both conventional and two-mode squeezed states, the latter corresponding to a thermal photon-pair distribution. The Poissonian photon-pair distribution is also explained by comparing the coherence time of the pump light and of the detected photons. An average of 0.9 generated photon pairs per pulse can thus be inferred.     

Compressed ghost imaging based on differential speckle patterns

We propose a compressed ghost imaging scheme based on differential speckle patterns,named CGI-DSP.In the scheme,a series of bucket detector signals are acquired when a series of random speckle patterns are employed to illuminate an unknown object.Then the differential speckle patterns(differential bucket detector signals) are obtained by taking the difference between present random speckle patterns(present bucket detector signals) and previous random speckle patterns(previous bucket detector signals).Finally,the image of object can be obtained directly by performing the compressed sensing algorithm on the differential speckle patterns and differential bucket detector signals.The experimental and simulated results reveal that CGI-DSP can improve the imaging quality and reduce the number of measurements comparing with the traditional compressed ghost imaging schemes because our scheme can remove the environmental illuminations efficiently.     

Effects of light intensity on reflective ghost imaging

In this letter, we analyze the effects of light intensity find that the brightness of reflective ghost image can on reflective ghost imaging with thermal source. We be changed by modulating the light intensity of the source and the splitting ratio of the beam splitter. The signal-to-noise ratio will be improved by increa.sing the light intensity of the source. More important, we can obtain the reflective ghost image with high image quality by adopting a low light intensity signal beam and a high light intensity reference beam, which is better than the classical optical imaging, because it can reduce the effects of light on the object.     

Multichannel polarization-entangled photonpair source for entanglement distribution

A multichannel polarization-entangled photon-pair source in an Mg O-doped periodically poled lithium niobate(Mg O:PPLN) waveguide is proposed. Based on type I quasi-phase-matched spontaneous parametric down conversion in a single Mg O: PPLN waveguide placed inside a Sagnac interferometer and pumped by monochromatic light, a source capable of supporting tens to hundreds of channels of polarization-entangled photon pairs in fiber communication bands simultaneously can be achieved. An inherent channel switch of this source is investigated,which will be significant for future entanglement distribution networks.     

Ultrabright femtosecond source of biphotons based on a spatial mode inverter

A method of enhancing the efficiency of entangled biphoton sources based on a type II femtosecond spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) process is proposed and implemented experimentally. Enhancement is obtained by mode inversion of one of the SPDC output beams, which allows the beams to overlap completely, thus maximizing the number of SPDC photon pairs with optimum spatiotemporal overlap. By use of this method, biphoton count rates as high as 16 kHz from a single 0.5-mm-long beta-barium borate crystal pumped by second-harmonic radiation from a Ti:sapphire laser were obtained.     

Conditional-phase switch at the single-photon level

We present an experimental realization of a two-photon conditional phase switch, related to the " c-phis;" gate of quantum computation. This gate relies on quantum interference between photon pairs and generates entanglement between two optical modes through the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). The interference effect serves to enhance the effective nonlinearity by many orders of magnitude, so it is significant at the quantum (single-photon) level. By adjusting the relative optical phase between the classical pump for SPDC and the pair of input modes, one can impress a large phase shift on one beam which depends on the presence or absence of a single photon in a control mode.     

Effects of multiple pairs on visibility measurements of entangled photons generated by spontaneous parametric processes

Entangled photon-pair sources based on spontaneous parametric processes are widely used in photonic quantum information experiments. In this paper, we clarify the relationship between average photon-pair number and the visibility of two-photon interference (TPI) using those entanglement sources. We consider sources that generate distinguishable and indistinguishable entangled photon pairs, assuming coincidence measurements that use threshold detectors. We present formulas for the TPI visibility of a polarization entanglement that take account of all the high-order multi-pair emission events. Moreover, we show that the formulas can be approximated with simple functions of the average pair number when the photon collection efficiency is small. As a result, we reveal that an indistinguishable entangled pair provides better visibility than a distinguishable one.     

Correlated photon emission from multiatom Rydberg dark States

We consider three-level atoms driven by two resonant light fields in a ladder scheme where the upper level is a highly excited Rydberg state. We show that the dipole-dipole interactions between Rydberg excited atoms prevents the formation of single particle dark states and leads to strongly correlated photon pairs from atoms separated by distances large compared to the emission wavelength. For a pair of atoms, this enables realization of an efficient photon-pair source with on average one pair every 30 μs.