Work

Quantum tomography for arbitrary single-photon polarization-path states

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Quantum state tomography (QST), the process through which the density matrix of a quantum system is characterized from measurements of specific observables, is a fundamental pillar in the fields of quantum information and computation. In this work, we propose a simple QST method to reconstruct the density matrix of two qubits encoded in the polarization and path degrees of freedom of a single photon, which can be realized with a single linear-optical setup. We demonstrate that the density matrix can be fully described in terms of the Stokes parameters related to the two possible paths of the photon, together with a quantum version of the two-point Stokes parameters introduced here. Our findings put forward photonic circuits for the investigation of the dynamics of open quantum systems.

Source: Physical Review A

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.109.022421

Authors: J. L. Montenegro Ferreira, Bertúlio de Lima Bernardo

Institution: Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Information and Cryptography

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Award: G586949937