An increasing number of emerging quantum applications operate using optical technologies. Essentially, photons carry information at the speed of light and over long distances, making them good candidates for fast and secure communications and quantum computing. Many of these applications require photons that are identical (indistinguishable). When the photons are not identical, it can lead to errors in the data and quantum technologies become less reliable.
Currently, quantum photon sources are regularly taken offline to be tested and adjusted using an interferometer. This requires comparing photons multiple times using different configurations, a process that is time consuming and requires relatively bulky equipment that can accommodate the various physical arrangements.
Real-time analysis of photon indistinguishability that can be conducted within a device while it operates could improve the precision of quantum technologies.
Researchers at TMOS, the ARC Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, have designed and demonstrated a new device that uses an ultra-thin metasurface to do all the necessary measurements in a single pass. The work was reported in Optica.
To read more, click here.