Time and the quantum: erasing the past and impacting the future

The quantum eraser effect of Scully and Drühl dramatically underscores the difference between our classical conceptions of time and how quantum processes can unfold in time. Such eyebrow-raising features of time in quantum mechanics have been labeled "the fallacy of delayed choice and quantum eraser" on the one hand and described "as one of the most intriguing effects in quantum mechanics" on the other. In the present paper, we discuss how the availability or erasure of information generated in the past can affect how we interpret data in the present. The quantum eraser concept has been studied and extended in many different experiments and scenarios, for example, the entanglement quantum eraser, the kaon quantum eraser, and the use of quantum eraser entanglement to improve microscopic resolution.     

Measurement of the entanglement of two superconducting qubits via state tomography

Demonstration of quantum entanglement, a key resource in quantum computation arising from a nonclassical correlation of states, requires complete measurement of all states in varying bases. By using simultaneous measurement and state tomography, we demonstrated entanglement between two solid-state qubits. Single qubit operations and capacitive coupling between two super-conducting phase qubits were used to generate a Bell-type state. Full two-qubit tomography yielded a density matrix showing an entangled state with fidelity up to 87%. Our results demonstrate a high degree of unitary control of the system, indicating that larger implementations are within reach.     

Entangling the spatial properties of laser beams

Position and momentum were the first pair of conjugate observables explicitly used to illustrate the intricacy of quantum mechanics. We have extended position and momentum entanglement to bright optical beams. Applications in optical metrology and interferometry require the continuous measurement of laser beams, with the accuracy fundamentally limited by the uncertainty principle. Techniques based on spatial entanglement of the beams could overcome this limit, and high-quality entanglement is required. We report a value of 0.51 for inseparability and 0.62 for the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen criterion, both normalized to a classical limit of 1. These results are a conclusive optical demonstration of macroscopic position and momentum quantum entanglement and also confirm that the resources for spatial multimode protocols are available.     

Entangling macroscopic diamonds at room temperature

Quantum entanglement in the motion of macroscopic solid bodies has implications both for quantum technologies and foundational studies of the boundary between the quantum and classical worlds. Entanglement is usually fragile in room-temperature solids, owing to strong interactions both internally and with the noisy environment. We generated motional entanglement between vibrational states of two spatially separated, millimeter-sized diamonds at room temperature. By measuring strong nonclassical correlations between Raman-scattered photons, we showed that the quantum state of the diamonds has positive concurrence with 98% probability. Our results show that entanglement can persist in the classical context of moving macroscopic solids in ambient conditions.     

Functional quantum nodes for entanglement distribution over scalable quantum networks

We demonstrated entanglement distribution between two remote quantum nodes located 3 meters apart. This distribution involves the asynchronous preparation of two pairs of atomic memories and the coherent mapping of stored atomic states into light fields in an effective state of near-maximum polarization entanglement. Entanglement is verified by way of the measured violation of a Bell inequality, and it can be used for communication protocols such as quantum cryptography. The demonstrated quantum nodes and channels can be used as segments of a quantum repeater, providing an essential tool for robust long-distance quantum communication.     

Quantum-enhanced measurements: beating the standard quantum limit

Quantum mechanics, through the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, imposes limits on the precision of measurement. Conventional measurement techniques typically fail to reach these limits. Conventional bounds to the precision of measurements such as the shot noise limit or the standard quantum limit are not as fundamental as the Heisenberg limits and can be beaten using quantum strategies that employ "quantum tricks" such as squeezing and entanglement.     

Optically induced entanglement of excitons in a single quantum Dot

Optically induced entanglement is identified by the spectrum of the phase-sensitive homodyne-detected coherent nonlinear optical response in a single gallium arsenide quantum dot. The electron-hole entanglement involves two magneto-excitonic states differing in transition energy and polarization. The strong coupling needed for entanglement is provided through the Coulomb interaction involving the electrons and holes. The result presents a first step toward the optical realization of quantum logic operations using two or more quantum dots.     

Correcting quantum errors with entanglement

We show how entanglement shared between encoder and decoder can simplify the theory of quantum error correction. The entanglement-assisted quantum codes we describe do not require the dual-containing constraint necessary for standard quantum error-correcting codes, thus allowing us to "quantize" all of classical linear coding theory. In particular, efficient modern classical codes that attain the Shannon capacity can be made into entanglement-assisted quantum codes attaining the hashing bound (closely related to the quantum capacity). For systems without large amounts of shared entanglement, these codes can also be used as catalytic codes, in which a small amount of initial entanglement enables quantum communication.     

Tavis-Cummings模型中原子间偶极相互作用对相对熵纠缠度的影响

用量子相对熵研究了耦合双原子与单模真空场相互作用系统的纠缠度,讨论了原子间偶极相互作用对相对熵纠缠度的影响.研究结果表明:原子间纠缠与原子-场间纠缠的时间演化相位相反.原子间偶极-偶极相互作用的增强,引起纠缠度的演化周期增大;原子间纠缠度不变,而原子-场间纠缠度减少.     

Long-distance free-space distribution of quantum entanglement

We demonstrate the distribution of quantum entanglement via optical free-space links to independent receivers separated by 600 m, with no line of sight between each other. A Bell inequality between those receivers is violated by more than four standard deviations, confirming the quality of the entanglement. This outdoor experiment represents a step toward satellite-based distributed quantum entanglement.     

From pedigree cats to fluffy-bunnies

We consider two distinct classes of quantum mechanical entanglement. The first "pedigree" class consists of delicate highly entangled states, which hold great potential for use in future quantum technologies. By focusing on Schrodinger cat states, we demonstrate not only the possibilities these states hold but also the difficulties they present. The second "fluffy-bunny" class is made up of robust states that arise naturally as a result of measurements and interactions between particles. This class of entanglement may be responsible for the classical-like world we see around us.     

Unconditional quantum teleportation

Quantum teleportation of optical coherent states was demonstrated experimentally using squeezed-state entanglement. The quantum nature of the achieved teleportation was verified by the experimentally determined fidelity Fexp = 0.58 +/- 0.02, which describes the match between input and output states. A fidelity greater than 0.5 is not possible for coherent states without the use of entanglement. This is the first realization of unconditional quantum teleportation where every state entering the device is actually teleported.     

Environment-induced sudden death of entanglement

We demonstrate the difference between local, single-particle dynamics and global dynamics of entangled quantum systems coupled to independent environments. Using an all-optical experimental setup, we showed that, even when the environment-induced decay of each system is asymptotic, quantum entanglement may suddenly disappear. This "sudden death" constitutes yet another distinct and counterintuitive trait of entanglement.     

A 2D quantum walk simulation of two-particle dynamics

Multidimensional quantum walks can exhibit highly nontrivial topological structure, providing a powerful tool for simulating quantum information and transport systems. We present a flexible implementation of a two-dimensional (2D) optical quantum walk on a lattice, demonstrating a scalable quantum walk on a nontrivial graph structure. We realized a coherent quantum walk over 12 steps and 169 positions by using an optical fiber network. With our broad spectrum of quantum coins, we were able to simulate the creation of entanglement in bipartite systems with conditioned interactions. Introducing dynamic control allowed for the investigation of effects such as strong nonlinearities or two-particle scattering. Our results illustrate the potential of quantum walks as a route for simulating and understanding complex quantum systems.     

Real-time quantum feedback control of atomic spin-squeezing

Real-time feedback performed during a quantum nondemolition measurement of atomic spin-angular momentum allowed us to influence the quantum statistics of the measurement outcome. We showed that it is possible to harness measurement backaction as a form of actuation in quantum control, and thus we describe a valuable tool for quantum information science. Our feedback-mediated procedure generates spin-squeezing, for which the reduction in quantum uncertainty and resulting atomic entanglement are not conditioned on the measurement outcome.     

Entangled images from four-wave mixing

Two beams of light can be quantum mechanically entangled through correlations of their phase and intensity fluctuations. For a pair of spatially extended image-carrying light fields, the concept of entanglement can be applied not only to the entire images but also to their smaller details. We used a spatially multimode amplifier based on four-wave mixing in a hot vapor to produce twin images that exhibit localized entanglement. The images can be bright fields that display position-dependent quantum noise reduction in their intensity difference or vacuum twin beams that are strongly entangled when projected onto a large range of different spatial modes. The high degree of spatial entanglement demonstrates that the system is an ideal source for parallel continuous-variable quantum information protocols.     

QUANTUM COMPUTING: Quantum Entangled Bits Step Closer to IT

In contrast to today's computers, quantum computers and information technologies may in future be able to store and transmit information not only in the state "0" or "1," but also in superpositions of the two; information will then be stored and transmitted in entangled quantum states. Zeilinger discusses recent advances toward using this principle for quantum cryptography and highlights studies into the entanglement (or controlled superposition) of several photons, atoms, or ions.     

孤立原子和双模腔内原子之间的纠缠突然死亡研究

通过计算并发度和线性熵研究了初始处于纠缠态的两个两能级原子与双模场相互作用系统的纠缠动力学特性,讨论了原子初始纠缠度和腔场初始纠缠度对并发度的影响。结果表明,两原子之间的纠缠出现纠缠突然死亡(ESD)现象,纠缠死亡持续的时间长度和原子初始的纠缠度无关,然而依赖于腔场初始纠缠度;在整个时间演化过程中,两原子和腔场之间一直保持着纠缠状态。     

Beating the standard quantum limit with four-entangled photons

Precision measurements are important across all fields of science. In particular, optical phase measurements can be used to measure distance, position, displacement, acceleration, and optical path length. Quantum entanglement enables higher precision than would otherwise be possible. We demonstrated an optical phase measurement with an entangled four-photon interference visibility greater than the threshold to beat the standard quantum limit-the limit attainable without entanglement. These results open the way for new high-precision measurement applications.