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Dispersive Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with finite coincidence windows

T. J. Walstra1, A. J. Hasenack2, D. J. de Ruiter1, P. W. H. Pinkse1,*, T. D. Bradley3, and B. Škorić2

  • *Contact author: p.w.h.pinkse@utwente.nl
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Phys. Rev. Applied 26, 024065 – Published 24 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7qgl-v5ld

Abstract

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is a fundamental tool for assessing photon indistinguishability in quantum information processing. While the effect of chromatic dispersion on HOM interference has been widely studied, the interplay between dispersion and the finite detection window of realistic measurement devices remains underexplored. In this work, we demonstrate that the rectangular coincidence window inherent to modern time-tagging modules, which effectively acts as a temporal filter, breaks the standard dispersion cancellation condition and restores sensitivity to symmetric group-velocity dispersion. We derive an analytical model for type-II SPDC processes that predicts a modification of the HOM dip shape, specifically the emergence of characteristic oscillations and dip broadening. We experimentally validate this theoretical framework using a ppKTP source and transmission through optical fibers of lengths up to 29 km. The experimental data show excellent agreement with the model, confirming the presence of window-induced oscillations and allowing for the precise extraction of the fiber dispersion parameter. These findings underscore the significance of accounting for finite timing resolution in the design and characterization of dispersive quantum communication links.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 26, 024065– Published 24 August, 2026
  • Received 5 February 2026
  • Revised 7 April 2026
  • Accepted 17 July 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

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