Practical measurement of joint weak values and their connection to the annihilation operator

Weak measurements are a new tool for characterizing post-selected quantum systems during their evolution. Weak measurement was originally formulated in terms of von Neumann interactions which are practically available for only the simplest single-particle observables. In the present work, we extend and greatly simplify a recent, experimentally feasible, reformulation of weak measurement for multiparticle observables [Resch and Steinberg (2004, Phys. Rev. Lett., 92, 130402)]. We also show that the resulting ``joint weak values'' take on a particularly elegant form when expressed in terms of annihilation operators.Comment: 13 pages, accepted to Physics Letters A (Dec. 2004

Experimental Realization of the Quantum Box Problem

The three-box problem is a gedankenexperiment designed to elucidate some interesting features of quantum measurement and locality. A particle is prepared in a particular superposition of three boxes, and later found in a different (but nonorthogonal) superposition. It was predicted that appropriate "weak" measurements of particle position in the interval between preparation and post-selection would find the particle in two different places, each with certainty. We verify these predictions in an optical experiment and address the issues of locality and of negative probability.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Non-deterministic Gates for Photonic Single Rail Quantum Logic

We discuss techniques for producing, manipulating and measureing qubits encoded optically as vacuum and single photon states. We show that a universal set of non-deterministic gates can be constructed using linear optics and photon counting. We investigate the efficacy of a test gate given realistic detector efficiencies.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Entanglement and four wave mixing effects in the dissipation free nonlinear interaction of two photons at a single atom

We investigate the nonlinear interaction between two photons in a single input pulse at an atomic two level nonlinearity. A one dimensional model for the propagation of light to and from the atom is used to describe the precise spatiotemporal coherence of the two photon state. It is shown that the interaction generates spatiotemporal entanglement in the output state similar to the entanglement observed in parametric downconversion. A method of generating photon pairs from coherent pump light using this quantum mechanical four wave mixing process is proposed.Comment: 10 pages, including 3 figures, correction in eq.(7), updated references, final version for publication in PR

Observation of correlated-photon statistics using a single detector

We report experimental observations of correlated-photon statistics in the single-photon detection rate. The usual quantum interference in a two-photon polarization interferometer always accompanies a dip in the single detector counting rate, regardless of whether a dip or peak is seen in the coincidence rate. This effect is explained by taking into account all possible photon number states that reach the detector, rather than considering just the state post-selected by the coincidence measurement. We also report an interferometeric scheme in which the interference peak or dip in coincidence corresponds directly to a peak or dip in the single-photon detection rate.Comment: 4 pages, two-column (minor errors corrected.

Experimental Controlled-NOT Logic Gate for Single Photons in the Coincidence Basis

We report a proof-of-principle demonstration of a probabilistic controlled-NOT gate for single photons. Single-photon control and target qubits were mixed with a single ancilla photon in a device constructed using only linear optical elements. The successful operation of the controlled-NOT gate relied on post-selected three-photon interference effects which required the detection of the photons in the output modes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; minor change

Single Atom and Two Atom Ramsey Interferometry with Quantized Fields

Implications of field quantization on Ramsey interferometry are discussed and general conditions for the occurrence of interference are obtained. Interferences do not occur if the fields in two Ramsey zones have precise number of photons. However in this case we show how two atom (like two photon) interferometry can be used to discern a variety of interference effects as the two independent Ramsey zones get entangled by the passage of first atom. Generation of various entangled states like |0,2>+|2,0> are discussed and in far off resonance case generation of entangled state of two coherent states is discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, revised version. submitted to Phys. Rev.

Single Photons on Pseudo-Demand from Stored Parametric Down-Conversion

We describe the results of a parametric down-conversion experiment in which the detection of one photon of a pair causes the other photon to be switched into a storage loop. The stored photon can then be switched out of the loop at a later time chosen by the user, providing a single photon for potential use in a variety of quantum information processing applications. Although the stored single photon is only available at periodic time intervals, those times can be chosen to match the cycle time of a quantum computer by using pulsed down-conversion. The potential use of the storage loop as a photonic quantum memory device is also discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 7 Figs., RevTe