Strong unitary and overlap uncertainty relations: theory and experiment

We derive and experimentally investigate a strong uncertainty relation valid for any $n$ unitary operators, which implies the standard uncertainty relation as a special case, and which can be written in terms of geometric phases. It is saturated by every pure state of any $n$-dimensional quantum system, generates a tight overlap uncertainty relation for the transition probabilities of any $n+1$ pure states, and gives an upper bound for the out-of-time-order correlation function. We test these uncertainty relations experimentally for photonic polarisation qubits, including the minimum uncertainty states of the overlap uncertainty relation, via interferometric measurements of generalised geometric phases.Comment: 5 pages of main text, 5 pages of Supplemental Material. Clarifications added in this updated versio

Fidelity estimation of quantum states on a silicon photonic chip

As a measure of the 'closeness' of two quantum states, fidelity plays a fundamental role in quantum information theory. Fidelity estimation protocols try to strike a balance between information gleaned from an experiment, and the efficiency of its implementation, in terms of the number of states consumed by the protocol. Here we adapt a previously reported optimal state verification protocol (Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 170502, 2018) for fidelity estimation of two-qubit states. We demonstrate the protocol experimentally using a fully-programmable silicon photonic two-qubit chip. Our protocol outputs significantly smaller error bars of its point estimate in comparison with another widely-used estimation protocol, showing a clear step forward in the ability to estimate the fidelity of quantum states produced by a practical device

Maximizing precision in saturation-limited absorption measurements

Quantum fluctuations in the intensity of an optical probe is noise which limits measurement precision in absorption spectroscopy. Increased probe power can offer greater precision, however, this strategy is often constrained by sample saturation. Here, we analyse measurement precision for a generalised absorption model in which we account for saturation and explore its effect on both classical and quantum probe performance. We present a classical probe-sample optimisation strategy to maximise precision and find that optimal probe powers always fall within the saturation regime. We apply our optimisation strategy to two examples, high-precision Doppler broadened thermometry and an absorption spectroscopy measurement of Chlorophyll A. We derive a limit on the maximum precision gained from using a non-classical probe and find a strategy capable of saturating this bound. We evaluate amplitude-squeezed light as a viable experimental probe state and find it capable of providing precision that reaches to within > 85% of the ultimate quantum limit with currently available technology.Comment: 12 pages and 5 figure

Heralded quantum steering over a high-loss channel

Entanglement is the key resource for many long-range quantum information tasks, including secure communication and fundamental tests of quantum physics. These tasks require robust verification of shared entanglement, but performing it over long distances is presently technologically intractable because the loss through an optical fiber or free-space channel opens up a detection loophole. We design and experimentally demonstrate a scheme that verifies entanglement in the presence of at least $14.8\pm0.1$ dB of added loss, equivalent to approximately $80$ km of telecommunication fiber. Our protocol relies on entanglement swapping to herald the presence of a photon after the lossy channel, enabling event-ready implementation of quantum steering. This result overcomes the key barrier in device-independent communication under realistic high-loss scenarios and in the realization of a quantum repeater.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Fidelity estimation of quantum states on a silicon photonic chip

As a measure of the 'closeness' of two quantum states, fidelity plays a fundamental role in quantum information theory. Fidelity estimation protocols try to strike a balance between information gleaned from an experiment, and the efficiency of its implementation, in terms of the number of states consumed by the protocol. Here we adapt a previously reported optimal state verification protocol (Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 170502, 2018) for fidelity estimation of two-qubit states. We demonstrate the protocol experimentally using a fully-programmable silicon photonic two-qubit chip. Our protocol outputs significantly smaller error bars of its point estimate in comparison with another widely-used estimation protocol, showing a clear step forward in the ability to estimate the fidelity of quantum states produced by a practical device

L00L and p00p entanglement

We demonstrate the generation of unbalanced two-photon entanglement in the Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) transverse-spatial degree-of-freedom, where one photon carries a fundamental (Gauss) mode and the other a higher-order LG mode with a non-zero azimuthal ($\ell$) or radial ($p$) component. Taking a cue from the $N00N$ state nomenclature, we call these types of states $LOOL$ (L00L) or $p00p$-entangled. They are generated by shifting one photon in the LG mode space and combining it with a second (initially uncorrelated) photon at a beamsplitter, followed by coincidence detection. In order to verify two-photon coherence, we demonstrate a two-photon ``twisted'' quantum eraser, where Hong-Ou-Mandel interference is recovered between two distinguishable photons by projecting them into a rotated LG superposition basis. Using an entanglement witness, we find that our generated $LOOL$ and $p00p$ states have fidelities of 95.31\% and 89.80\% to their respective ideal maximally entangled states. Besides being of fundamental interest, this type of entanglement will likely have a significant impact on tickling the average quantum physicist's funny bone.Comment: Written for submission to the AVS Quantum Science special issue in memory of Jon Dowlin

Necessary condition for steerability of arbitrary two-qubit states with loss

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering refers to the quantum phenomenon whereby the state of a system held by one party can be "steered" into different states at the will of another, distant, party by performing different local measurements. Although steering has been demonstrated in a number of experiments involving qubits, the question of which two-qubit states are steerable remains an open theoretical problem. Here, we derive a necessary condition for any two-qubit state to be steerable when the steering party suffers from a given probability of qubit loss. Our main result finds application in one-way steering demonstrations that rely upon loss. Specifically, we apply it to a recent experiment on one-way steering with projective measurements and POVMs, reported by Wollmann et. al. [Phys. Rev. Lett., 116, 160403 (2016)].Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Conclusive experimental demonstration of one-way Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering is a quantum phenomenon wherein one party influences, or steers, the state of a distant party's particle beyond what could be achieved with a separable state, by making measurements on one half of an entangled state. This type of quantum nonlocality stands out through its asymmetric setting, and even allows for cases where one party can steer the other, but where the reverse is not true. A series of experiments have demonstrated one-way steering in the past, but all were based on significant limiting assumptions. These consisted either of restrictions on the type of allowed measurements, or of assumptions about the quantum state at hand, by mapping to a specific family of states and analysing the ideal target state rather than the real experimental state. Here, we present the first experimental demonstration of one-way steering free of such assumptions. We achieve this using a new sufficient condition for non-steerability, and, although not required by our analysis, using a novel source of extremely high-quality photonic Werner states.Comment: Supplemental Material included in the documen

Ultrasonically assisted deposition of colloidal crystals

Colloidal particles are a versatile physical system which have found uses across a range of applications such as the simulation of crystal kinetics, etch masks for fabrication, and the formation of photonic band-gap structures. Utilization of colloidal particles often requires a means to produce highly ordered, periodic structures. One approach is the use of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) to direct the self-assembly of colloidal particles. Previous demonstrations using standing SAWs were shown to be limited in terms of crystal size and dimensionality. Here, we report a technique to improve the spatial alignment of colloidal particles using traveling SAWs. Through control of the radio frequency power, which drives the SAW, we demonstrate enhanced quality and dimensionality of the crystal growth. We show that this technique can be applied to a range of particle sizes in the 孭regime and may hold potential for particles in the sub-孭regime.Griffith Sciences, School of Natural SciencesFull Tex