Giuseppe Vallone

Two-Particle Bosonic-Fermionic Quantum Walk via Integrated Photonics

Quantum walk represents one of the most promising resources for the simulation of physical quantum systems, and has also emerged as an alternative to the standard circuit model for quantum computing. Here we investigate how the particle statistics, either bosonic or fermionic, influences a two-particle discrete quantum walk. Such an experiment has been realized by exploiting polarization entanglement to simulate the bunching-antibunching feature of noninteracting bosons and fermions. To this scope a novel three-dimensional geometry for the waveguide circuit is introduced, which allows accurate polarization independent behavior, maintaining remarkable control on both phase and balancement.

Integrated photonic quantum gates for polarization qubits

The ability to manipulate quantum states of light by integrated devices may open new perspectives both for fundamental tests of quantum mechanics and for novel technological applications. However, the technology for handling polarization-encoded qubits, the most commonly adopted approach, is still missing in quantum optical circuits. Here we demonstrate the first integrated photonic controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate for polarization-encoded qubits. This result has been enabled by the integration, based on femtosecond laser waveguide writing, of partially polarizing beam splitters on a glass chip. We characterize the logical truth table of the quantum gate demonstrating its high fidelity to the expected one. In addition, we show the ability of this gate to transform separable states into entangled ones and vice versa. Finally, the full accessibility of our device is exploited to carry out a complete characterization of the CNOT gate through a quantum process tomography.

Polarization entangled state measurement on a chip

We report the realization of an integrated beam splitter able to support polarization-encoded qubits. Using this device, we demonstrate quantum interference with polarization-entangled states and singlet state projection.

Polarization entangled states measurement on a chip

The emerging strategy to overcome the limitations of bulk quantum optics consists of taking advantage of the robustness and compactness achievable by the integrated waveguide technology. Here we report the realization of a directional coupler, fabricated by femtosecond laser waveguide writing, acting as an integrated beam splitter able to support polarization encoded qubits. This maskless and single step technique allows to realize circular transverse waveguide profiles able to support the propagation of Gaussian modes with any polarization state. Using this device, we demonstrate the quantum interference with polarization entangled states.

Complete and deterministic discrimination of polarization Bell states assisted by momentum entanglement

A complete and deterministic Bell state measurement was realized by a simple linear optics experimental scheme which adopts two-photon polarization-momentum hyperentanglement. The scheme, which is based on the discrimination among the single photon Bell states of the hyperentangled state, requires the adoption of standard single photon detectors. The four polarization Bell states have been measured with average fidelity F=0.889 +/- 0.010 by using the linear momentum degree of freedom as the ancilla. The feasibility of the scheme has been characterized as a function of the purity of momentum entanglement.

Experimental Satellite Quantum Communications

Quantum communication (QC), namely, the faithful transmission of generic quantum states, is a key ingredient of quantum information science. Here we demonstrate QC with polarization encoding from space to ground by exploiting satellite corner cube retroreflectors as quantum transmitters in orbit and the Matera Laser Ranging Observatory of the Italian Space Agency in Matera, Italy, as a quantum receiver. The quantum bit error ratio (QBER) has been kept steadily low to a level suitable for several quantum information protocols, as the violation of Bell inequalities or quantum key distribution (QKD). Indeed, by taking data from different satellites, we demonstrate an average value of QBER=4.6% for a total link duration of 85 s. The mean photon number per pulse μ_{sat} leaving the satellites was estimated to be of the order of one. In addition, we propose a fully operational satellite QKD system by exploiting our communication scheme with orbiting retroreflectors equipped with a modulator, a very compact payload. Our scheme paves the way toward the implementation of a QC worldwide network leveraging existing receivers.

Realization and Characterization of a Two-Photon Four-Qubit Linear Cluster State

Cluster states, recently introduced as a fundamental resource for one-way quantum computation, represent genuine multiqubits entangled states. The one-way model is based on the initial preparation of entangled qubits in the cluster state, followed by single qubits measurements and feed-forwards. All the difficulties present in the standard computation model, for instance the implementation of two qubits gates, are transferred in the one-way model to the state preparation.

Hyperentanglement of two photons in three degrees of freedom

A six-qubit hyperentangled state has been realized by entangling two photons in three degrees of freedom. These correspond to the polarization, the longitudinal momentum, and the indistinguishable emission produced by a two-crystal system operating with type I phase matching in the spontaneous parametric down conversion regime. The state has been characterized by a chained interferometric apparatus and its complete entangled nature has been tested by a witness criterion specifically presented for hyperentangled states. The experiment represents a realization of a genuine hyperentangled state with the maximum entanglement between the two particles allowed in the given

Experimental Entanglement and Nonlocality of a Two-Photon Six-Qubit Cluster State

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Multipath entanglement of two photons.

Hilbert space.