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Protecting Quantum Modes in Optical Fibers

M.A.T. Butt1,2,3,4, P. Roth1,2, G.K.L. Wong1,2, M.H. Frosz1, L.L. Sánchez-Soto1,2,5,*, E.A. Anashkina6,7, A.V. Andrianov6, P. Banzer1,2,3,8, P.St.J. Russell1 et al.

G. Leuchs1,2,6

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts, Erlangen 91058, Germany
  • 2Institut für Optik, Information und Photonik, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91058, Germany
  • 3School of Advanced Optical Technologies, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91052, Germany
  • 4College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE), National University of Sciences and Technology, Risalpur 24090, Pakistan
  • 5Departamento de Óptica, Facultad de Física, Universidad Complutense, Madrid 28040, Spain
  • 6A.V. Gaponov-Grekhov Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
  • 7Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
  • 8Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria

  • *lsanchez@fis.ucm.es
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Phys. Rev. Applied 19, 054080 – Published 24 May, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.19.054080

Abstract

Polarization-preserving fibers maintain the two polarization states of an orthogonal basis. Quantum communication, however, requires sending at least two nonorthogonal states and these cannot both be preserved. We present an alternative scheme that allows for using polarization encoding in a fiber not only in the discrete, but also in the continuous-variable regime. For the example of a helically twisted photonic crystal fiber, we experimentally demonstrate that using appropriate nonorthogonal modes, the polarization-preserving fiber does not fully scramble these modes over the full Poincaré sphere, but that the output polarization will stay on a great circle; that is, within a one-dimensional protected subspace, which can be parametrized by a single variable. This allows for more efficient measurements of quantum excitations in nonorthogonal modes.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 19, 054080– Published 24 May, 2023
  • Received 14 August 2022
  • Revised 27 March 2023
  • Accepted 1 May 2023
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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. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.

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