Compressive single-pixel read-out of single-photon quantum walks on a polymer photonic chip

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective single-pixel imaging technique using a DMD to efficiently detect and analyze single-photon quantum walks on a polymer photonic chip, enhancing quantum photonic device scalability.

Contribution

It presents a novel method combining single-pixel imaging and compressive sensing for efficient single-photon detection on chip-scale quantum photonic devices.

Findings

Successful imaging of single-photon quantum walks

High-accuracy reconstruction of photon spatial distribution

Feasibility of compressive sensing optimization strategies

Abstract

Quantum photonic devices operating in the single photon regime require the detection and characterization of quantum states of light. Chip-scale, waveguide-based devices are a key enabling technology for increasing the scale and complexity of such systems. Collecting single photons from multiple outputs at the end-face of such a chip is a core task that is frequently non-trivial, especially when output ports are densely spaced. We demonstrate a novel, inexpensive method to efficiently image and route individual output modes of a polymer photonic chip, where single photons undergo a quantum walk. The method makes use of single-pixel imaging (SPI) with a digital micromirror device (DMD). By implementing a series of masks on the DMD and collecting the reflected signal into single-photon detectors, the spatial distribution of the single photons can be reconstructed with high accuracy. We also demonstrate the feasibility of optimization strategies based on compressive sensing.