2,034 research outputs found
Spatially encoded light for Large-alphabet Quantum Key Distribution
Most Quantum Key Distribution protocols use a two-dimensional basis such as
HV polarization as first proposed by Bennett and Brassard in 1984. These
protocols are consequently limited to a key generation density of 1 bit per
photon. We increase this key density by encoding information in the transverse
spatial displacement of the used photons. Employing this higher-dimensional
Hilbert space together with modern single-photon-detecting cameras, we
demonstrate a proof-of-principle large-alphabet Quantum Key Distribution
experiment with 1024 symbols and a shared information between sender and
receiver of 7 bit per photon.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Added references, Updated Fig. 1 in the main
text, Updated Fig.1 in supplementary material, Added section Trojan-horse
attacks in supplementary material, title changed, Added paragraphs about
final key rate and overfilling the detector to result sectio
Unusual features of coarsening with detachment rates decreasing with cluster mass
We study conserved one-dimensional models of particle diffusion, attachment
and detachment from clusters, where the detachment rates decrease with
increasing cluster size as gamma(m) ~ m^{-k}, k>0. Heuristic scaling arguments
based on random walk properties show that the typical cluster size scales as
(t/ln(t))^z, with z=1/(k+2). The initial symmetric flux of particles between
neighboring clusters is followed by an effectively assymmetric flux due to the
unbalanced detachement rates, which leads to the above logarithmic correction.
Small clusters have densities of order t^{-mz(1)}, with z(1) = k/(k+2). Thus,
for k<1, the small clusters (mass of order unity) are statistically dominant
and the average cluster size does not scale as the size of typically large
clusters does. We also solve the Master equation of the model under an
independent interval approximation, which yields cluster distributions and
exponent relations and gives the correct dominant coarsening exponent after
accounting for the effects of correlations. The coarsening of large clusters is
described by the distribution P_t(m) ~ 1/t^y f(m/t^z), with y=2z. All results
are confirmed by simulation, which also illustrates the unusual features of
cluster size distributions, with a power law decay for small masses and a
negatively skewed peak in the scaling region. The detachment rates considered
here can apply in the presence of strong attractive interactions, and recent
applications suggest that even more rapid rate decays are also physically
realistic.Comment: 12 pages, with 9 figures include
Optimizing spontaneous parametric down-conversion sources for boson sampling
An important step for photonic quantum technologies is the demonstration of a
quantum advantage through boson sampling. In order to prevent classical
simulability of boson sampling, the photons need to be almost perfectly
identical and almost without losses. These two requirements are connected
through spectral filtering, improving one leads to a decrease of the other. A
proven method of generating single photons is spontaneous parametric
downconversion (SPDC). We show that an optimal trade-off between
indistinguishability and losses can always be found for SPDC. We conclude that
a 50-photon scattershot boson-sampling experiment using SPDC sources is
possible from a computational complexity point of view. To this end, we
numerically optimize SPDC sources under the regime of weak pumping and with a
single spatial mode
Electro-optic techniques for longitudinal electron bunch diagnostics
Electro-optic techniques are becoming increasingly important in ultrafast electron bunch longitudinal diagnostics and have been successfully implemented at various accelerator laboratories. The longitudinal bunch shape is directly obtained from a single-shot, non-intrusive measurement of the temporal electric field profile of the bunch. Further- more, the same electro-optic techniques can be used to measure the temporal profile of terahertz / far-infrared opti- cal pulses generated by a CTR screen, at a bending magnet (CSR), or by an FEL. This contribution summarizes the re- sults obtained at FELIX and FLASH
Single shot longitudinal bunch profile measurements by temporally resolved electro-optical detection
For the high gain operation of a SASE FEL, extremely short electron bunches are essential to generate sufficiently high peak currents. At the superconducting linac of FLASH at DESY, we have installed an electro- optic measurement system to probe the time structure of the electric field of single ~100 fs electron bunches. In this technique, the field induced birefringence in an electro-optic crystal is encoded on a chirped picosecond laser pulse. The longitudinal electric field profile of the electron bunch is then obtained from the encoded optical pulse by a single shot cross correlation with a 35 fs laser pulse using a second harmonic crystal (temporal decoding). An electro-optical signal exhibiting a feature with 118 fs FWHM was observed, and this is close to the limit of resolution due to the material properties of the particular electro-optic crystal used. The measured electro-optic signals are compared to bunch shapes simultaneously measured with a transverse deflecting cavity
Electro-optic time profile monitors for femtosecond electron bunches at the soft x-ray free-electron laser FLASH
Precise measurements of the temporal profile of ultrashort electron bunches are of high interest for the optimization and operation of ultraviolet and x-ray free-electron lasers. The electro-optic (EO) technique has been applied for a single-shot direct visualization of the time profile of individual electron bunches at FLASH. This paper presents a thorough description of the experimental setup and the results. An absolute calibration of the EO technique has been performed utilizing simultaneous measurements with a transverse-deflecting radio-frequency structure that transforms the longitudinal bunch charge distribution into a transverse streak. EO signals as short as 60 fs (rms) have been observed using a gallium-phosphide (GaP) crystal, which is a new record in the EO detection of single electron bunches and close to the physical limit imposed by the EO material properties. The data are in quantitative agreement with a numerical simulation of the EO detection process
Benchmarking of electro-optic monitors for femtosecond electron bunches
The longitudinal profiles of ultrashort relativistic electron bunches at the soft x-ray free-electron laser FLASH have been investigated using two single-shot detection schemes: an electro-optic (EO) detector measuring the Coulomb field of the bunch and a radio-frequency structure transforming the charge distribution into a transverse streak. A comparison permits an absolute calibration of the EO technique. EO signals as short as 60 fs (rms) have been observed, which is a new record in the EO detection of single electron bunches and close to the limit given by the EO material properties
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