Quantum versus classical effects in two-photon speckle patterns

TL;DR

This paper examines how disorder and quantum properties influence two-photon interference in disordered media, highlighting the role of entanglement and quantum state symmetry in the interference patterns.

Contribution

It reveals that disorder predominantly suppresses two-photon interference, while quantum state symmetry and entanglement can modify and enhance interference effects.

Findings

Disorder suppresses two-photon interference regardless of quantum state.

Quantum nature of light influences the interference pattern.

Entangled states with different symmetries exhibit distinct interference robustness.

Abstract

We discuss quantum and classical aspects of two-photon interference in light transmission through disordered media. We show that disorder is the main factor that suppresses the interference, whatever the quantum state of the incident light. Secondarily, the two-photon interference is affected by the quantum nature of light (i.e., the well-defined number of photons in the two-photon entangled and Fock states as compared to the coherent state). And finally, entanglement is a resource that allows to prepare two-photon states with special symmetries with respect to the interchange of the photons and, in particular, the states with bosonic and fermionic symmetries. The two-photon interference is more robust for the latter states and its sign can be inverted for the fermionic state.