ABSTRACT
The counterintuitive nature of quantum physics leads to a number of paradoxes. One of them is a "quantum vampire" effect [Fedorov et al., Optica2, 112 (2015)OPTIC82334-253610.1364/OPTICA.2.000112], which means that the photon annihilation in a part of a large beam does not change the shape of the beam profile (i.e., does not cast a shadow), but it may change the total beam intensity. Previously, this effect was demonstrated just in a simplified double-mode regime [Fedorov et al., Optica2, 112 (2015), OPTIC82334-253610.1364/OPTICA.2.000112 Katamadze et al., Optica5, 723 (2018)OPTIC82334-253610.1364/OPTICA.5.000723]. In this Letter, a direct test of shadow absence after the photon annihilation was performed using the thermal state of light at the input.
ABSTRACT
Spatial states of single photons and spatially entangled photon pairs are becoming an important resource in quantum communication. This additional degree of freedom provides an almost unlimited information capacity, making the development of high-quality sources of spatial entanglement a well-motivated research direction. We report an experimental method for generation of photon pairs in a maximally entangled spatial state. In contrast to existing techniques, the method does not require postselection of a particular subspace of spatial modes and allows one to use the full photon flux from the nonlinear crystal, providing a tool for creating high-brightness sources of pure spatially entangled photons. Such sources are a prerequisite for emerging applications in free-space quantum communication.
ABSTRACT
Transformation and detection of photons in higher-order spatial modes usually requires complicated holographic techniques. Detectors based on spatial holograms suffer from non-idealities and should be carefully calibrated. We report a novel method for analyzing the quality of projective measurements in spatial mode basis inspired by quantum detector tomography. It allows us to calibrate the detector response using only gaussian beams. We experimentally investigate the inherent inaccuracy of the existing methods of mode transformation and provide a full statistical reconstruction of the POVM (positive operator valued measure) elements for holographic spatial mode detectors.
