Deterministic generation of a four-component optical cat state

TL;DR

This paper proposes a straightforward linear optical setup with photon counters to generate four-component optical cat states, a key resource for fault-tolerant quantum computing, potentially enabling experimental realization in optics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, simple method for producing four-component optical cat states using linear optics and photon detection, advancing quantum state engineering.

Findings

Proposed a linear optical circuit for state generation

Outlined a feasible experimental approach

Potential for enabling fault-tolerant optical quantum computing

Abstract

The four-component cat state represents a particularly useful quantum state for realizing fault-tolerant continuous variable quantum computing. While such encoding has been experimentally generated and employed in the microwave regime, the states have not yet been produced in the optical regime. Here we propose a simple linear optical circuit combined with photon counters for the generation of such optical four-component cat states. This work might pave the way for the first experimental generation of fault-tolerant optical continuous variable quantum codes.