Sample-half-inserted quantum interferometer
- URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2608.03622v1
- Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:11:10 GMT
- Title: Sample-half-inserted quantum interferometer
- Abstract summary: The Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometer is well-known for enabling temporal resolutions on the attosecond scale.<n>Here, we propose and demonstrate a sample-half-inserted HOM (SHOM) interferometer, which enhances the Fisher information by five orders of magnitude in a single interference event.<n>Our results establish SHOM interferometry as an efficient phase-insensitive approach, paving the way toward practical quantum-enhanced thickness measurement for transparent materials.
- Score: 7.888092002427893
- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- Abstract: Quantum technologies have been widely recognized as unprecedented opportunities for ultra-high precision metrology. As a celebrated example in modern quantum optics, the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometer is well-known for enabling temporal resolutions on the attosecond scale. However, the relatively low Fisher information per trial in ordinary HOM measurements typically necessitates tens of thousands of repetitions to achieve such precision. Here, we propose and demonstrate a sample-half-inserted HOM (SHOM) interferometer, which enhances the Fisher information by five orders of magnitude in a single interference event. By introducing an asymmetric photon-sample interaction, the SHOM configuration produces a distinctive dip-bump-dip interference structure, converting what was previously viewed as an artifact into a helpful metrological resource. Experimentally, we measured the optical path difference with an average precision of 4.09 nm (13.63 as) and an average accuracy of 1.22 nm (4.07 as) using $O(10^7)$ photons. Our results establish SHOM interferometry as an efficient phase-insensitive approach, not only paving the way toward practical quantum-enhanced thickness measurement for transparent materials, but also serving as an elegant strategy to improve the performance of various quantum devices.
Related papers
- Ultrasensitive Transverse Deflection Measurement with Two-photon Interference [8.406719933893529]
Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is intrinsic quantum phenomena that goes beyond the possibilities of classical physics.<n>We present an experimental demonstration of a spatial HOM interferometry for measuring the transverse deflection of an optical beam.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2025-04-06T07:52:43Z) - Optimal Floquet Engineering for Large Scale Atom Interferometers [0.0]
We present a novel approach for atomic beam splitters based on the stroboscopic stabilization of quantum states in an accelerated optical lattice.
We demonstrate an unprecedented Large Momentum Transfer (LMT) interferometer, with a momentum separation of 600 photon recoils between its two arms.
Our study shows that Floquet engineering is a promising tool for exploring new frontiers in quantum physics at large scales.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2024-03-21T12:05:58Z) - Fast measurement of group index variation with ultimate precision using Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry [3.6293956720749425]
Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry has emerged as a valuable tool for quantum sensing applications.<n>We optimize optical delay measurements in a time-efficient manner.<n>Measurements maintain fast detection and high photon counts.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2024-01-22T11:17:46Z) - Finite Pulse-Time Effects in Long-Baseline Quantum Clock Interferometry [45.73541813564926]
We study the interplay of the quantum center-of-mass $-$ that can become delocalized $-$ together with the internal clock transitions.
We show at the example of a Gaussian laser beam that the proposed quantum-clock interferometers are stable against perturbations from varying optical fields.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2023-09-25T18:00:03Z) - High-dimensional quantum correlation measurements with an adaptively
gated hybrid single-photon camera [58.720142291102135]
We propose an adaptively-gated hybrid intensified camera (HIC) that combines a high spatial resolution sensor and a high temporal resolution detector.
With a spatial resolution of nearly 9 megapixels and nanosecond temporal resolution, this system allows for the realization of previously infeasible quantum optics experiments.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2023-05-25T16:59:27Z) - Simultaneous quantum estimation of phase and indistinguishability in a
two photon interferometer [0.0]
We derive the quantum Fisher information matrix associated to the simultaneous estimation of an interferometric phase.
We perform an experiment based on a pair of photons with an unknown degree of indistinguishability entering a two-port interferometer.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2023-03-27T18:56:03Z) - Two-colour spectrally multimode integrated SU(1,1) interferometer [77.34726150561087]
We develop and investigate an integrated multimode two-colour SU (1,1) interferometer that operates in a supersensitive mode.
By ensuring a proper design of the integrated platform, we suppress dispersion and thereby significantly increase the visibility of the interference pattern.
We demonstrate that such an interferometer overcomes the classical phase sensitivity limit for wide parametric gain ranges, when up to $3*104$ photons are generated.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2022-02-10T13:30:42Z) - Quantifying n-photon indistinguishability with a cyclic integrated
interferometer [40.24757332810004]
We report on a universal method to measure the genuine indistinguishability of n-photons.
Our approach relies on a low-depth cyclic multiport interferometer with N = 2n modes.
We experimentally demonstrate this technique for a 8-mode integrated interferometer fabricated using femtosecond laser micromachining.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2022-01-31T16:30:52Z) - Quantum-limited determination of refractive index difference by means of
entanglement [0.0]
We exploit a quantum optical method based on low-coherence Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry to perform measurements of the refractive index difference.
The precision enhancement reached with this method is benchmarked with a classical method based on single photon interferometry.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2021-10-21T13:07:27Z) - Towards probing for hypercomplex quantum mechanics in a waveguide
interferometer [55.41644538483948]
We experimentally investigate the suitability of a multi-path waveguide interferometer with mechanical shutters for performing a test for hypercomplex quantum mechanics.
We systematically analyse the influence of experimental imperfections that could lead to a false-positive test result.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2021-04-23T13:20:07Z) - Spectrally multimode integrated SU(1,1) interferometer [50.591267188664666]
The presented interferometer includes a polarization converter between two photon sources and utilizes a continuous-wave (CW) pump.
We show that this configuration results in almost perfect destructive interference at the output and supersensitivity regions below the classical limit.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2020-12-07T14:42:54Z) - Quantum-Assisted Optical Interferometers: Instrument Requirements [37.89976990030855]
We propose that photons from two different sources could be interfered at two decoupled stations, requiring only a slow classical connection between them.
We show that this approach could allow high-precision measurements of the relative astrometry of the two sources, with a simple estimate giving angular resolution of $10 mu$as in a few hours' observation of two bright stars.
arXiv Detail & Related papers (2020-12-04T19:25:02Z)
This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.
This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.