Leiming Cao

Experimental generation of multiple quantum correlated beams from hot rubidium vapor.

Quantum correlations and entanglement shared among multiple quantum modes are important for both fundamental science and the future development of quantum technologies. This development will also require an efficient quantum interface between multimode quantum light sources and atomic ensembles, which makes it necessary to implement multimode quantum light sources that match the atomic transitions. Here, we report on such a source that provides a method for generating quantum correlated beams that can be extended to a large number of modes by using multiple four-wave mixing (FWM) processes in hot rubidium vapor. Experimentally, we show that two cascaded FWM processes produce strong quantum correlations between three bright beams but not between any two of them. In addition, the intensity-difference squeezing is enhanced with the cascaded system to -7.0±0.1  dB from the -5.5±0.1/-4.5±0.1  dB squeezing obtained with only one FWM process. One of the main advantages of our system is that as the number of quantum modes increases, so does the total degree of quantum correlations. The proposed method is also immune to phase instabilities due to its phase insensitive nature, can easily be extended to multiple modes, and has potential applications in the production of multiple quantum correlated images.

Experimental observation of quantum correlations in four-wave mixing with a conical pump

Generation of multimode quantum states has drawn much attention recently due to its importance for both fundamental science and the future development of quantum technologies. Here, by using a four-wave mixing process with a conical pump beam, we have experimentally observed about -3.8  dB of intensity-difference squeezing between a single-axial probe beam and a conical conjugate beam. The multi-spatial-mode nature of the generated quantum-correlated beams has been shown by comparing the variation tendencies of the intensity-difference noise of the probe and conjugate beams under global attenuation and local cutting attenuation. Due to its compactness, phase-insensitive nature, and easy scalability, our scheme may find potential applications in quantum imaging, quantum information processing, and quantum metrology.

Characterization of Pairwise Correlations from Multiple Quantum Correlated Beams Generated from Cascaded Four-Wave Mixing Processes

We theoretically characterize the performance of the pairwise correlations (PCs) from multiple quantum correlated beams based on the cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. The presence of the PCs with quantum corre- lation in these systems can be verified by calculating the degree of intensity difference squeezing for any pair of all the output fields. The quantum correlation characteristics of all the PCs under different cascaded schemes are also discussed in detail and the repulsion effect between PCs in these cascaded FWM processes is theoretically predicted. Our results open the way for the classification and application of quantum states generated from the cascaded FWM processes.

Experimental implementation of a nonlinear beamsplitter based on a phase-sensitive parametric amplifier

Beamsplitters have played an important role in quantum optics experiments. They are often used to split and combine two beams, especially in the construct of an interferometer. In this letter, we experimentally implement a nonlinear beamsplitter using a phase-sensitive parametric amplifier, which is based on four-wave mixing in hot rubidium vapor. Here we show that, despite the different frequencies of the two input beams, the output ports of the nonlinear beamsplitter exhibit interference phenomena. We make measurements of the interference fringe visibility and study how various parameters, such as the intensity gain of the amplifier, the intensity ratio of the two input beams, and the one and two photon detunings, affect the behavior of the nonlinear beamsplitter. It may find potential applications in quantum metrology and quantum information processing.

Experimental characterization of pairwise correlations from quadruple quantum correlated beams generated by cascaded four-wave mixing processes

We theoretically calculate and experimentally investigate the performance of the pairwise correlations from quadruple quantum correlated beams based on the cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. The experimental results have similar trends to their theoretical predictions. By properly changing the intensity gains of the cascaded FWM processes, we can gradually convert some pairs of classical correlated beams into quantum correlated beams. Our results may find potential applications in the manipulation of quantum correlated beams generated from the cascaded FWM processes.We theoretically calculate and experimentally investigate the performance of the pairwise correlations from quadruple quantum correlated beams based on the cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. The experimental results have similar trends to their theoretical predictions. By properly changing the intensity gains of the cascaded FWM processes, we can gradually convert some pairs of classical correlated beams into quantum correlated beams. Our results may find potential applications in the manipulation of quantum correlated beams generated from the cascaded FWM processes.

Experimental characterization of pairwise correlations from triple quantum correlated beams generated by cascaded four-wave mixing processes

We theoretically and experimentally characterize the performance of the pairwise correlations from triple quantum correlated beams based on the cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. The pairwise correlations between any two of the beams are theoretically calculated and experimentally measured. The experimental and theoretical results are in good agreement. We find that two of the three pairwise correlations can be in the quantum regime. The other pairwise correlation is always in the classical regime. In addition, we also measure the triple-beam correlation which is always in the quantum regime. Such unbalanced and controllable pairwise correlation structures may be taken as advantages in practical quantum communications, for example, hierarchical quantum secret sharing. Our results also open the way for the classification and application of quantum states generated from the cascaded FWM processes.

Scalable generation of multiple quantum correlated beams from hot rubidium vapor

We report on a scalable method for generating multiple quantum correlated beams by using cascaded four-wave mixing processes in hot rubidium vapor. As the number of quantum modes increases, so does the total degree of quantum correlations.