Verification of single-photon path entanglement using a nitrogen vacancy center

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the generation and verification of bipartite path-entangled states using single photons from a nitrogen-vacancy center, employing a novel continuous-wave excitation method without pulsed lasers.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for verifying path entanglement that does not require pulsed laser excitation, expanding experimental capabilities in quantum photonics.

Findings

Successful generation of path-entangled states from NV centers

Verification achieved using a novel 'time-window' method

Continuous-wave excitation is effective for entanglement verification

Abstract

Path entanglement is an essential resource for photonic quantum information processing, including in quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum sensing. In this work, we experimentally study the generation and verification of bipartite path-entangled states using single photons produced by a nitrogen-vacancy center within a nanodiamond. We perform a range of measurements to characterize the photons being generated and verify the presence of path entanglement. The experiment is performed using continuous-wave laser excitation and a novel state generation 'time-window' method. This approach to path entanglement verification is different to previous work as it does not make use of a pulsed laser excitation source.