Adaptive Quantum Optics with Spatially Entangled Photon Pairs

TL;DR

This paper extends classical light shaping techniques to the quantum domain, enabling the manipulation of high-dimensional entangled photon pairs for advanced quantum imaging and communication applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to shape spatially entangled photons using phase modulation, allowing deterministic control of quantum coherence patterns and adaptive quantum optics functionalities.

Findings

Successfully shaped quantum entanglement patterns without affecting intensity

Demonstrated compensation for scattering-induced entanglement randomization

Enabled characterization of scattering media via quantum measurements

Abstract

Light shaping facilitates the preparation and detection of optical states and underlies many applications in communications, computing, and imaging. In this Letter, we generalize light shaping to the quantum domain. We show that patterns of phase modulation for classical laser light can also shape higher orders of spatial coherence, allowing deterministic tailoring of high-dimensional quantum entanglement. By modulating spatially entangled photon pairs, we create periodic, topological, and random patterns of quantum illumination, without effect on intensity. We then structure the quantum illumination to simultaneously compensate for entanglement that has been randomized by a scattering medium and to characterize the medium's properties via a quantum measurement of the optical memory effect. The results demonstrate fundamental aspects of spatial coherence and open the field of adaptive quantum optics.