Classical Optical Analogue of Quantum Discord

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a classical optical analogue of quantum discord using classical light and spatial modes of a Laguerre-Gauss beam, providing insights into quantum information resources.

Contribution

It introduces a novel classical optical method to simulate quantum discord, bridging classical optics and quantum information theory.

Findings

Validated the classical analogue by matching experimental and theoretical intensity profiles.

Showed the approach can simulate different discord values.

Provided a new tool for studying quantum correlations classically.

Abstract

Quantum discord has been shown to be a resource for quantum advantage in addition to quantum entanglement. While many experiments have demonstrated classical analogies of entanglement, none have done so for discord. We present a proof-of-concept demonstration for creating a classical analogue of quantum discord using classical light that takes advantage of the analogy between the state of two qubits and the spatial modes of a Laguerre-Gauss beam. We demonstrate the validity of this approach by comparing the intensity profiles of theoretical simulations to experimental results for different values of discord. Such a classical analogue of quantum discord may provide further insight in understanding and development of quantum information technologies that make use of discord.