Quantum and optical technology

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Quantum-optical catalysis by means of a single photon

Optics InfoBase Conference Papers (2002)

Authors:

AI Lvovsky, J Mlynek

Abstract:

We convert coherent states of light into nonclassical coherent superpositions of the vacuum and the single-photon states via conditional measurements on a beamsplitter, employing single photons as "catalysts": they facilitate the conversion without being consumed.

Ultrasensitive pulsed, balanced homodyne detector: application to time-domain quantum measurements.

Optics letters 26:21 (2001) 1714-1716

Authors:

H Hansen, T Aichele, C Hettich, P Lodahl, AI Lvovsky, J Mlynek, S Schiller

Abstract:

A pulsed, balanced homodyne detector has been developed for precise measurement of the electric field quadratures of pulsed optical quantum states. A high level of common mode suppression (>85 dB) and low electronic noise (730 electrons per pulse) provide a signal-to-noise ratio of 14 dB for measurement of the quantum noise of individual pulses. Measurements at repetition rates as high as 1 MHz are possible. As a test, quantum tomography of the coherent state was performed, and the Wigner function and the density matrix were reconstructed with 99.5% fidelity. The detection system can be used for ultrarsensitive balanced detection in cw mode, e.g., for weak absorption measurements.
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Nonclassical character of statistical mixtures of the single-photon and vacuum optical states

(2001)

Authors:

AI Lvovsky, JH Shapiro
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Nonlinear Optical Studies of Surface Structures of Rubbed Polyimides and Adsorbed Liquid Crystal Monolayers

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals Science and Technology Section A Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals Taylor & Francis 364:1 (2001) 427-434

Authors:

Masahito Oh-E, Alexander I Lvovsky, Xing Wei, Doseok Kim, YR Shen
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Quantum state reconstruction of the single-photon Fock state

Physical Review Letters 87:5 (2001)

Authors:

AI Lvovsky, H Hansen, T Aichele, O Benson, J Mlynek, S Schiller

Abstract:

The phase-averaged Wigner function and the density matrix diagonal elements of an optical single-photon Fock state |1> were reconstructed using the method of phase-randomized pulsed optical homodyne tomography. A total measurement efficiency of 55.3 ± 1.3% was obtained. The measurement technique and error analysis were checked by performing a simultaneous measurement on the vacuum state.