Entanglement-Seeded-Dual Optical Parametric Amplification: Applications to Quantum Communication, Imaging, and Metrology

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel entanglement-seeded dual optical parametric amplifier scheme that produces specialized entangled states, enabling advanced applications in quantum communication, imaging, and precise metrology.

Contribution

It presents a new OPA configuration seeded with N00N states, generating entangled outputs suitable for quantum key distribution, lithography, and Heisenberg-limited measurements.

Findings

Output states enable quantum key distribution.

Heralded creation of N=4 N00N states demonstrated.

Potential for sub-Rayleigh imaging and Heisenberg-limited phase measurement.

Abstract

The study of optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) has been successful in describing and creating nonclassical light for use in fields such as quantum metrology and quantum lithography [Agarwal, et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 24, 2 (2007)]. In this paper we present the theory of an OPA scheme utilizing an entangled state input. The scheme involves two identical OPAs seeded with the maximally path-entangled N00N state (|2,0>+|0,2>)/sqrt{2}. The stimulated amplification results in output state probability amplitudes that have a dependence on the number of photons in each mode, which differs greatly from two-mode squeezed vacuum. The output contains a family of entangled states directly applicable to quantum key distribution. Specific output states allow for the heralded creation of N=4 N00N states, which may be used for quantum lithography, to write sub-Rayleigh fringe patterns, and for quantum interferometry, to achieve Heisenberg-limited phase measurement sensitivity.