Quantum Airy Photons

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation and verification of quantum correlated photons in Airy modes, showing their potential for advanced quantum applications with preserved quantum correlations.

Contribution

It introduces a method to generate quantum Airy photons via spontaneous parametric down conversion and spatial light modulation, extending classical Airy beam properties into the quantum domain.

Findings

Quantum Airy photons exhibit parabolic propagation trajectories.

Quantum correlations are preserved after spatial modulation.

Verification of Airy wavefunctions through two-photon coincidence measurements.

Abstract

With exotic propagation properties, optical Airy beams have been well studied for innovative applications in communications, biomedical imaging, micromachining, and so on. Here we extend those studies to the quantum domain, creating quantum correlated photons in finite-energy Airy transverse modes via spontaneous parametric down conversion and sub-sequential spatial light modulation. Through two-photon coincidence measurements, we verify their Airy spatial wavefunctions, propagation along a parabolic trajectory, and that the spatial modulation does not introduce any observable degradation of quantum correlation between the photons. These results suggest the feasibility of using spatially structured photons for practically advantageous quantum applications.