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Imaging inspired characterization of single photons carrying orbital angular momentum
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- We report on an imaging-inspired measurement of orbital angular momentum (OAM) using only a simple tilted lens and an Intensified Charged Coupled Device (ICCD) camera, allowing us to monitor the propagation of OAM structured photons over distance, crucial for free-space quantum communication networks. We demonstrate measurement of OAM orders as high as 14 in a heralded single-photon source (HSPS) and show, for the first time, the imaged self-interference of photons carrying OAM in a modified Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI). The described methods reveal both the charge and order of a photons OAM, and provide a proof of concept for the interference of a single OAM photon with itself. Using these tools, we are able to study the propagation characteristics of OAM photons over distance, important for estimating transport in free-space quantum links. By translating these classical tools into the quantum domain, we offer a robust and direct approach for the complete characterization of a twisted single-photon source, an important building block of a quantum network.
- Subjects :
- Quantum Physics
Physics - Optics
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.2111.08402
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1116/5.0078870