TY - JOUR

T1 - What can single photons do what lasers cannot do?

AU - Rezai, Mohammad

AU - Sperling, Jan

AU - Gerhardt, Ilja

PY - 2019/9/24

Y1 - 2019/9/24

N2 - Coherence forms the foundation of quantum information processing and roots its bases in effects such as quantum interference and entanglement. In our classically perceived life, interference is a familiar notion, but what makes this phenomenon "quantum" is a challenging task to be quantitatively verified. In this contribution, we experimentally implement quantum interference and investigate the impact of different origins of an interference pattern by characterizing correlations obtained with distinct light sources, namely single photons and laser light. We present the correlation measurements on a general class of linear optical gates in a uniform format. Consequently, this modeling provides a precise characterization of different photonic sources. Specifically, we demonstrate how an interference pattern can be uniquely decomposed into a classical and quantum part. By extension, our approach renders it possible to perform a comprehensive analysis of the wave-particle duality in quantum-optical interference experiments.

AB - Coherence forms the foundation of quantum information processing and roots its bases in effects such as quantum interference and entanglement. In our classically perceived life, interference is a familiar notion, but what makes this phenomenon "quantum" is a challenging task to be quantitatively verified. In this contribution, we experimentally implement quantum interference and investigate the impact of different origins of an interference pattern by characterizing correlations obtained with distinct light sources, namely single photons and laser light. We present the correlation measurements on a general class of linear optical gates in a uniform format. Consequently, this modeling provides a precise characterization of different photonic sources. Specifically, we demonstrate how an interference pattern can be uniquely decomposed into a classical and quantum part. By extension, our approach renders it possible to perform a comprehensive analysis of the wave-particle duality in quantum-optical interference experiments.

KW - Single photons

KW - Quantum information processing

KW - Quantum optics

KW - quantum gate

KW - single photons

KW - Hong-Ou-Mandel

KW - wave-particle duality

KW - quantum photonics

KW - single molecules

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079349967&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/2058-9565/ab3d56

DO - 10.1088/2058-9565/ab3d56

M3 - Article

VL - 4

SP - 1

EP - 7

JO - Quantum Science and Technology

JF - Quantum Science and Technology

IS - 4

M1 - 045008

ER -