Tailoring photon statistics with an atom-based two-photon interferometer

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a tunable two-photon interferometer using an atom-based system, enabling control over photon statistics by adjusting the quantum phase between different photon components, with potential applications in quantum light sources.

Contribution

It introduces an active control method for photon statistics via dispersion-induced phase tuning in an atom-based interferometer, advancing quantum light source development.

Findings

Observation of interference fringes in photon coincidence rates.

Control of photon bunching and antibunching through phase tuning.

Potential for developing novel quantum light sources.

Abstract

Controlling the photon statistics of light is paramount for quantum science and technologies. Recently, we demonstrated that transmitting resonant laser light past an ensemble of two-level emitters can result in a stream of single photons or excess photon pairs. This transformation is due to quantum interference between the transmitted and incoherently scattered two-photon component. Here, using the dispersion of the atomic medium, we actively control the relative quantum phase between these two components. We thereby realize a tunable two-photon interferometer and observe interference fringes in the normalized photon coincidence rate, varying from antibunching to bunching. Beyond the fundamental insight that the quantum phase between incoherent and coherent light can be tuned and dictates photon statistics, our results lend themselves to the development of novel quantum light sources.