Twenty Years of Quantum State Teleportation at the Sapienza University in Rome.

Quantum teleportation is one of the most striking consequence of quantum mechanics and is defined as the transmission and reconstruction of an unknown quantum state over arbitrary distances. This concept was introduced for the first time in 1993 by Charles Bennett and coworkers, it has then been experimentally demonstrated by several groups under different conditions of distance, amount of particles and even with feed forward. After 20 years from its first realization, this contribution reviews the experimental implementations realized at the Quantum Optics Group of the University of Rome La Sapienza.

The Higgs field and the resolution of the Cosmological Constant Paradox in the Weyl-geometrical Universe.

The nature of the scalar field responsible for the cosmological inflation is found to be rooted in the most fundamental concept of Weyl's differential geometry: the parallel displacement of vectors in curved space-time. Within this novel geometrical scenario, the standard electroweak theory of leptons based on the SU(2) L ⊗U(1) Y as well as on the conformal groups of space-time Weyl's transformations is analysed within the framework of a general-relativistic, conformally covariant scalar-tensor theory that includes the electromagnetic and the Yang-Mills fields. A Higgs mechanism within a spontaneous symmetry breaking process is identified and this offers formal connections between some relevant properties of the elementary particles and the dark energy content of the Universe. An 'effective cosmological potential': Veff is expressed in terms of the dark energy potential: [Formula: see text] via the 'mass reduction parameter': [Formula: see text], a general property of the Universe. The mass of the Higgs boson, which is considered a 'free parameter' by the standard electroweak theory, by our theory is found to be proportional to the mass [Formula: see text] which accounts for the measured cosmological constant, i.e. the measured content of vacuum-energy in the Universe. The non-integrable application of Weyl's geometry leads to a Proca equation accounting for the dynamics of a ϕρ -particle, a vector-meson proposed as an an optimum candidate for dark matter. On the basis of previous cosmic microwave background results our theory leads, in the condition of cosmological 'critical density', to the assessment of the average energy content of the ϕρ -excitation. The peculiar mathematical structure of Veff offers a clue towards a very general resolution of a most intriguing puzzle of modern quantum field theory, the 'Cosmological Constant Paradox' (here referred to as the 'Λ-Paradox'). Indeed, our 'universal' theory offers a resolution of the Λ-Paradox for all exponential inflationary potentials: VΛ (T,ϕ)∝e-nϕ , and for all linear superpositions of these potentials, where n belongs to the mathematical set of the 'real numbers'. An explicit solution of the Λ-Paradox is reported for n=2. The resolution of the Λ-Paradox cannot be achieved in the context of Riemann's differential geometry.This article is part of the themed issue 'Second quantum revolution: foundational questions'.

Enhanced resolution of lossy interferometry by coherent amplification of single photons.

In the quantum sensing context most of the efforts to design novel quantum techniques of sensing have been constrained to idealized, noise-free scenarios, in which effects of environmental disturbances could be neglected. In this work, we propose to exploit optical parametric amplification to boost interferometry sensitivity in the presence of losses in a minimally invasive scenario. By performing the amplification process on the microscopic probe after the interaction with the sample, we can beat the losses' detrimental effect on the phase measurement which affects the single-photon state after its interaction with the sample, and thus improve the achievable sensitivity.

Coherent scattering of a multiphoton quantum superposition by a mirror BEC.

We present the proposition of an experiment in which the multiphoton quantum superposition consisting of N approximately 10{5} particles generated by a quantum-injected optical parametric amplifier, seeded by a single-photon belonging to an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entangled pair, is made to interact with a mirror-Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) shaped as a Bragg interference structure. The overall process will realize a macroscopic quantum superposition involving a microscopic single-photon state of polarization entangled with the coherent macroscopic transfer of momentum to the BEC structure, acting in spacelike separated distant places.

Experimental entanglement and nonlocality of a two-photon six-qubit cluster state.

We create a six-qubit linear cluster state by transforming a two-photon hyperentangled state in which three qubits are encoded in each particle, one in the polarization and two in the linear momentum degrees of freedom. For this state, we demonstrate genuine six-qubit entanglement, persistency of entanglement against the loss of qubits, and higher violation than in previous experiments on Bell inequalities of the Mermin type.

Anomalous lack of decoherence of the macroscopic quantum superpositions based on phase-covariant quantum cloning.

We show that all macroscopic quantum superpositions (MQS) based on phase-covariant quantum cloning are characterized by an anomalous high resilence to the decoherence processes. The analysis supports the results of recent MQS experiments and leads to conceive a useful conjecture regarding the realization of complex decoherence-free structures for quantum information, such as the quantum computer.

Quantum information transfer from spin to orbital angular momentum of photons.

The optical "spin-orbit" coupling occurring in a suitably patterned nonuniform birefringent plate known as a "q plate" allows entangling the polarization of a single photon with its orbital angular momentum (OAM). This process, in turn, can be exploited for building a bidirectional "spin-OAM interface," capable of transposing the quantum information from the spin to the OAM degree of freedom of photons and vice versa. Here, we experimentally demonstrate this process by single-photon quantum tomographic analysis. Moreover, we show that two-photon quantum correlations such as those resulting from coalescence interference can be successfully transferred into the OAM degree of freedom.

Multipath entanglement of two photons.

We present a novel optical device based on an integrated system of microlenses and single-mode optical fibers. It allows us to collect and direct into many modes two photons generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. By this device multiqubit entangled states and/or multilevel qudit states of two photons, encoded in the longitudinal momentum degree of freedom, are created. The multipath photon entanglement realized by this device is expected to find important applications in modern quantum information technology.

Proposed bell experiment with genuine energy-time entanglement.

Franson's Bell experiment with energy-time entanglement [Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 2205 (1989)10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.2205] does not rule out all local hidden variable models. This defect can be exploited to compromise the security of Bell inequality-based quantum cryptography. We introduce a novel Bell experiment using genuine energy-time entanglement, based on a novel interferometer, which rules out all local hidden variable models. The scheme is feasible with actual technology.

Polarization preserving ultra fast optical shutter for quantum information processing.

We present the realization of a ultra fast shutter for optical fields, which allows to preserve a generic polarization state, based on a self-stabilized interferometer. It exhibits high (or low) transmittivity when turned on (or inactive), while the fidelity of the polarization state is high. The shutter is realized through two beam displacing prisms and a longitudinal Pockels cell. This can represent a useful tool for controlling light-atom interfaces in quantum information processing.

Entanglement test on a microscopic-macroscopic system.

A macrostate consisting of N approximately 3.5x10{4} photons in a quantum superposition and entangled with a far apart single-photon state (microstate) is generated. Precisely, an entangled photon pair is created by a nonlinear optical process; then one photon of the pair is injected into an optical parametric amplifier operating for any input polarization state, i.e., into a phase-covariant cloning machine. Such transformation establishes a connection between the single photon and the multiparticle fields. We then demonstrate the nonseparability of the bipartite system by adopting a local filtering technique within a positive operator valued measurement.

Active one-way quantum computation with two-photon four-qubit cluster states.

By using 2-photon 4-qubit cluster states we demonstrate deterministic one-way quantum computation in a single qubit rotation algorithm. In this operation feed-forward measurements are automatically implemented by properly choosing the measurement basis of the qubits, while Pauli error corrections are realized by using two fast driven Pockels cells. We realized also a C-NOT gate for equatorial qubits and a C-PHASE gate for a generic target qubit. Our results demonstrate that 2-photon cluster states can be used for rapid and efficient deterministic one-way quantum computing.

Realization and characterization of a two-photon four-qubit linear cluster state.

We report on the experimental realization of a four-qubit linear cluster state via two photons entangled both in polarization and linear momentum. This state was investigated by performing tomographic measurements and by evaluating an entanglement witness. By use of this state we carried out a novel nonlocality proof, the so-called "stronger two observer all-versus-nothing" test of quantum nonlocality.

Experimental test of the no-signaling theorem.

In 1981 N. Herbert proposed a gedanken experiment in order to achieve by the "First Laser-Amplified Superluminal Hookup" (FLASH) a faster-than-light (FTL) communication by quantum nonlocality. The present work reports the first experimental realization of that proposal by the optical parametric amplification of a single photon belonging to an entangled EPR pair into an output field involving N=5 x 10{3} photons. A theoretical and experimental analysis explains in general and conclusive terms the precise reasons for the failure of the FLASH program as well as of any similar FTL proposals.

Enhancing the violation of the einstein-podolsky-rosen local realism by quantum hyperentanglement.

Mermin's observation [Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 1838 (1990)] that the magnitude of the violation of local realism, defined as the ratio between the quantum prediction and the classical bound, can grow exponentially with the size of the system is demonstrated using two-photon hyperentangled states entangled in polarization and path degrees of freedom, and local measurements of polarization and path simultaneously.

Realization of an optimally distinguishable multiphoton quantum superposition.

We report the realization of an entangled quantum superposition of M approximately 12 photons by multiple universal cloning of a single-photon qubit via the high gain, quantum-injected optical parametric amplification. The system has been found extremely resilient to decoherence. By quantum tomography, the nonseparability and the quantum superposition are demonstrated for the mesoscopic output state of the dynamic "closed system."

Contextual, optimal, and universal realization of the quantum cloning machine and of the NOT gate.

A simultaneous realization of the universal optimal quantum cloning machine and of the universal-NOT gate by a quantum injected optical parametric amplification, is reported. The two processes, forbidden in their exact form for fundamental quantum limitations, are found universal and optimal, and the measured fidelity F<1 is found close to the limit values evaluated by quantum theory. This work may enlighten the yet little explored interconnections of fundamental axiomatic properties within the deep structure of quantum mechanics.

Teleportation of a vacuum--one-photon qubit.

We report the experimental realization of teleporting a one-particle entangled qubit. The qubit is physically implemented by a two-dimensional subspace of states of a mode of the electromagnetic field, specifically, the space spanned by the vacuum and the one-photon state. Our experiment follows the line suggested by Lee and Kim [Phys. Rev. A 63, 012305 (2000)] and Knill, Laflamme, and Milburn [Nature (London) 409, 46 (2001)]. An unprecedented large value of the teleportation "fidelity" has been attained: F = (95.3 +/- 0.6)%.