Possibility of Coherent Phenomena like Bloch Oscillations with Single Photons via W-States

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that single photons prepared in W states can exhibit coherent phenomena like Bloch oscillations, traditionally associated with electrons, by leveraging quantum correlations rather than mean amplitude.

Contribution

It introduces a method to observe coherent effects with single photons through W states, establishing a quantum analog of Bloch oscillations.

Findings

Single photons in W states show nonzero correlations enabling coherence.

Bloch oscillations can be realized with single photons, mimicking electron behavior.

Correlations in W states restore coherence despite zero mean amplitude.

Abstract

We examine the behavior of single photons at multiport devices and inquire if coherent effects are possible. In particular we study how single photons need to be manipulated in order to study coherent phenomena. We show that single photons need to be produced in W states which lead to vanishing mean amplitude but nonzero correlations between the inputs at different ports. Such correlations restore coherent effects with single photons. As a specific example we demonstrate Bloch oscillations with single photons and thus provide strict analog of Bloch oscillation of electrons.