Observation of surface states with algebraic localization

We introduce and experimentally demonstrate a class of surface bound states with algebraic decay in a one-dimensional tight-binding lattice. Such states have an energy embedded in the spectrum of scattered states and are structurally stable against perturbations of lattice parameters. Experimental demonstration of surface states with algebraic localization is presented in an array of evanescently-coupled optical waveguides with tailored coupling rates.Comment: revised version with Supplemental Material, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Adaptive two-phase estimation on a photonic integrated device

Efficient adaptive multiphase estimation has been demonstrated experimentally on an integrated three-arm interferometer injected by single photons. Bayesian learning and Sequential Monte Carlo approximation have been employed as machine learning tools to achieve this goal

Single-photon Calibration of an Integrated Multiarm Interferometer via Neural Netowrks

Technological quantum sensors requires the development of a calibration procedure that is self-consistent and easily adaptable to different scenarios. Neural networks provide a handy solution in particular when dealing with large systems operating in a noisy environment

Quantifying n -Photon Indistinguishability with a Cyclic Integrated Interferometer

We report on a universal method to measure the genuine indistinguishability of n photons - a crucial parameter that determines the accuracy of optical quantum computing. Our approach relies on a low-depth cyclic multiport interferometer with N=2n modes, leading to a quantum interference fringe whose visibility is a direct measurement of the genuine n-photon indistinguishability. We experimentally demonstrate this technique for an eight-mode integrated interferometer fabricated using femtosecond laser micromachining and four photons from a quantum dot single-photon source. We measure a four-photon indistinguishability up to 0.81±0.03. This value decreases as we intentionally alter the photon pairwise indistinguishability. The low-depth and low-loss multiport interferometer design provides an original path to evaluate the genuine indistinguishability of resource states of increasing photon number

Three-dimensional femtosecond laser nanolithography of crystals

Nanostructuring hard optical crystals has so far been exclusively feasible at their surface, as stress induced crack formation and propagation has rendered high precision volume processes ineffective. We show that the inner chemical etching reactivity of a crystal can be enhanced at the nanoscale by more than five orders of magnitude by means of direct laser writing. The process allows to produce cm-scale arbitrary three-dimensional nanostructures with 100 nm feature sizes inside large crystals in absence of brittle fracture. To showcase the unique potential of the technique, we fabricate photonic structures such as sub-wavelength diffraction gratings and nanostructured optical waveguides capable of sustaining sub-wavelength propagating modes inside yttrium aluminum garnet crystals. This technique could enable the transfer of concepts from nanophotonics to the fields of solid state lasers and crystal optics.Comment: Submitted Manuscript and Supplementary Informatio

Femtosecond laser micromachining for integrated quantum photonics

Integrated quantum photonics, i.e. the generation, manipulation, and detection of quantum states of light in integrated photonic chips, is revolutionizing the field of quantum information in all applications, from communications to computing. Although many different platforms are being currently developed, from silicon photonics to lithium niobate photonic circuits, none of them has shown the versatility of femtosecond laser micromachining (FLM) in producing all the components of a complete quantum system, encompassing quantum sources, reconfigurable state manipulation, quantum memories, and detection. It is in fact evident that FLM has been a key enabling tool in the first-time demonstration of many quantum devices and functionalities. Although FLM cannot achieve the same level of miniaturization of other platforms, it still has many unique advantages for integrated quantum photonics. In particular, in the last five years, FLM has greatly expanded its range of quantum applications with several scientific breakthroughs achieved. For these reasons, we believe that a review article on this topic is very timely and could further promote the development of this field by convincing end-users of the great potentials of this technological platform and by stimulating more research groups in FLM to direct their efforts to the exciting field of quantum technologies

Quantum interference of topological states of light

Topological insulators are materials that have a gapped bulk energy spectrumbut contain protected in-gap states appearing at their surface. These states exhibit remarkable properties such as unidirectional propagation and robustness to noise that offer an opportunity to improve the performance and scalability of quantum technologies. For quantum applications, it is essential that the topological states are indistinguishable. We report high-visibility quantum interference of single-photon topological states in an integrated photonic circuit. Two topological boundary states, initially at opposite edges of a coupled waveguide array, are brought into proximity, where they interfere and undergo a beamsplitter operation. We observe Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with 93.1 +/- 2.8% visibility, a hallmark nonclassical effect that is at the heart of linear optics-based quantum computation. Our work shows that it is feasible to generate and control highly indistinguishable single-photon topological states, opening pathways to enhanced photonic quantumtechnology with topological properties, and to study quantumeffects in topological materials

Experimental adaptive Bayesian estimation of multiple phases with limited data

Achieving ultimate bounds in estimation processes is the main objective of quantum metrology. In this context, several problems require measurement of multiple parameters by employing only a limited amount of resources. To this end, adaptive protocols, exploiting additional control parameters, provide a tool to optimize the performance of a quantum sensor to work in such limited data regime. Finding the optimal strategies to tune the control parameters during the estimation process is a non-trivial problem, and machine learning techniques are a natural solution to address such task. Here, we investigate and implement experimentally an adaptive Bayesian multiparameter estimation technique tailored to reach optimal performances with very limited data. We employ a compact and flexible integrated photonic circuit, fabricated by femtosecond laser writing, which allows to implement different strategies with high degree of control. The obtained results show that adaptive strategies can become a viable approach for realistic sensors working with a limited amount of resources