Experimental quantum tomography assisted by multiply symmetric states in higher dimensions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new quantum tomography method using multiply symmetric states, which is applicable in any dimension, reduces measurement complexity, and demonstrates high fidelity in high-dimensional photonic states.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, dimension-independent quantum tomography technique based on multiply symmetric states, with experimental validation in high-dimensional photonic systems.

Findings

Method guarantees existence in any dimension.

Significant reduction in measurement outcomes compared to standard methods.

Achieves high fidelity (0.984) with relatively few photons in 15-dimensional states.

Abstract

High-dimensional quantum information processing has become a mature field of research with several different approaches being adopted for the encoding of $D$-dimensional quantum systems. Such progress has fueled the search of reliable quantum tomographic methods aiming for the characterization of these systems, being most of these methods specifically designed for a given scenario. Here, we report on a new tomographic method based on multiply symmetric states and on experimental investigations to study its performance in higher dimensions. Unlike other methods, it is guaranteed to exist in any dimension and provides a significant reduction in the number of measurement outcomes when compared to standard quantum tomography. Furthermore, in the case of odd dimensions, the method requires the least possible number of measurement outcomes. In our experiment we adopt the technique where high-dimensional quantum states are encoded using the linear transverse momentum of single photons and are controlled by spatial light modulators. Our results show that fidelities of $0.984\pm0.009$ with ensemble sizes of only $1.5\times10^5$ photons in dimension $D=15$ can be obtained in typical laboratory conditions, thus showing its practicability in higher dimensions.