Search

Stimulated parametric down-conversion is a nonlinear optical process that can be used for phase conjugation and frequency conversion of an optical field. A precise description of the outgoing stimulated field has been developed for the case where the input pump and seed fields are coherent. However, partially coherent beams can have interesting and important characteristics that are absent in coherent beams. One example is the twist phase, a novel optical phase that can appear in partially coherent Gaussian beams and gives rise to a nonzero orbital angular momentum. Here, we consider stimulated down-conversion for partially coherent input fields. As a case study, we use twisted Gaussian Schell-Model beams as the seed and pump beams in stimulated parametric down-conversion. It is shown both theoretically and experimentally that the stimulated idler beam can be written as a twisted Gaussian Schell-Model beam, where the beam parameters are determined entirely by the seed and pump. When the pump beam is coherent, the twist phase of the idler is the conjugate of that of the seed. These results could be useful for the correction of wavefront distortion such as in atmospheric turbulence in optical communication channels, and synthesis of partially coherent beams.

Uncertainty relations involving incompatible observables are one of the cornerstones of quantum mechanics. Aside from their fundamental significance, they play an important role in practical applications, such as detection of quantum correlations and security requirements in quantum cryptography. In continuous variable systems, the spectra of the relevant observables form a continuum and this necessitates the coarse graining of measurements. However, these coarse-grained observables do not necessarily obey the same uncertainty relations as the original ones, a fact that can lead to false results when considering applications. That is, one cannot naively replace the original observables in the uncertainty relation for the coarse-grained observables and expect consistent results. As such, several uncertainty relations that are specifically designed for coarse-grained observables have been developed. In recognition of the 90th anniversary of the seminal Heisenberg uncertainty relation, celebrated last year, and all the subsequent work since then, here we give a review of the state of the art of coarse-grained uncertainty relations in continuous variable quantum systems, as well as their applications to fundamental quantum physics and quantum information tasks. Our review is meant to be balanced in its content, since both theoretical considerations and experimental perspectives are put on an equal footing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers some insights into the theory of quantum mechanics and quantum entanglement. Quantum entanglement has been described as the strange non-classical correlation between quantum systems which enables the implementation of science-fiction-like communication tasks. The implementation of controlled interactions between the individual quantum bits can enhance the benefits of quantum communication.

Recent schemes to encode quantum information into the total angular momentum of light, defining rotation-invariant hybrid qubits composed of the polarization and orbital angular momentum degrees of freedom, present interesting applications for quantum information technology. However, there remains the question as to how detrimental effects such as random spatial perturbations affect these encodings. Here, we demonstrate that alignment-free quantum communication through a turbulent channel based on hybrid qubits can be achieved with unit transmission fidelity. In our experiment, alignment-free qubits are produced with q-plates and sent through a homemade turbulence chamber. The decoding procedure, also realized with q-plates, relies on both degrees of freedom and renders an intrinsic error-filtering mechanism that maps errors into losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of mutual unbiasedness for coarse-grained measurements of quantum continuous variable systems is considered. It is shown that while the procedure of "standard" coarse graining breaks the mutual unbiasedness between conjugate variables, this desired feature can be theoretically established and experimentally observed in periodic coarse graining. We illustrate our results in an optics experiment implementing Fraunhofer diffraction through a periodic diffraction grating, finding excellent agreement with the derived theory. Our results are an important step in developing a formal connection between discrete and continuous variable quantum mechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital angular momentum can be used to implement high capacity data transmission systems that can be applied for classical and quantum communications. Here we experimentally study the generation and transmission properties of the so-called perfect vortex beams and the Laguerre-Gaussian beams in ring-core optical fibers. Our results show that when using a single preparation stage, the perfect vortex beams present less ring-radius variation that allows coupling of higher optical power into a ring core fiber. These results lead to lower power requirements to establish fiber-based communications links using orbital angular momentum and set the stage for future implementations of high-dimensional quantum communication over space division multiplexing fibers.

South American optics research has seen remarkable growth over the past 50 years, with significant contributions in areas such as quantum optics, holography, spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, statistical optics, nanophotonics and integrated photonics. The research has driven economic development in sectors like telecom, biophotonics, biometrics, and agri-sensing. This joint feature issue between JOSA A and JOSA B exhibits cutting-edge optics research from the region, fostering a sense of community and promoting collaboration among researchers.

In optical communications, space-division multiplexing is a promising strategy to augment the fiber network capacity. It relies on modern fiber designs that support the propagation of multiple spatial modes. One of these fibers, the ring-core fiber (RCF), is able to propagate modes that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), and has been shown to enhance not only classical but also quantum communication systems. Typically, the RCF spatial modes are used as orthogonal transmission channels for data streams that are coupled into the fiber using different free space beams. Free space beams commonly used are Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) and perfect vortex (PV) beams. Here, we study the optimal conditions to multiplex information into ring-core fibers in this scheme. We study the beam coupling efficiency using the overlap between free space beams and RCF bound beams and determine which are the most relevant LG beams to be considered and how their coupling efficiency can be maximized by properly adjusting the beam width with respect to the fiber parameters. Our results show that the coupling efficiency depends upon the OAM value and that this can limit the achievable transmission rates in SDM systems. In this regard, we find optimal coupling configurations for LG beams based on the RCF fiber and beam parameters. Further, we study the PV beam that allows for nearly perfect coupling efficiencies for all spatial modes supported by these fibers. PV beams present higher coupling efficiencies than LG beams and negligible dependence on the OAM value, thus offering an attractive solution to multiplex high counts of OAM channels from free space into a ring-core fiber using a single coupling configuration.

Quantum communication employs the counter-intuitive features of quantum physics for tasks that are impossible in the classical world. It is crucial for testing the foundations of quantum theory and promises to revolutionize information and communication technologies. However, to execute even the simplest quantum transmission, one must establish, and maintain, a shared reference frame. This introduces a considerable overhead in resources, particularly if the parties are in motion or rotating relative to each other. Here we experimentally show how to circumvent this problem with the transmission of quantum information encoded in rotationally invariant states of single photons. By developing a complete toolbox for the efficient encoding and decoding of quantum information in such photonic qubits, we demonstrate the feasibility of alignment-free quantum key-distribution, and perform proof-of-principle demonstrations of alignment-free entanglement distribution and Bell-inequality violation. The scheme should find applications in fundamental tests of quantum mechanics and satellite-based quantum communication.