Generation of Subnatural-Linewidth Hyperentangled Photon Pairs
Kai-Yu Liao, Hui Yan, J. He, Shengwang Du, Zhi‐Ming Zhang, Shi-Liang Zhu · arXiv (Cornell University) · 2014
We demonstrate an efficient experimental scheme for producing hyperentangled photon pairs from spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in a laser cooled 85Rb atomic ensemble, with a bandwidth (as low as 0.8 MHz) much narrower than the rubidium atomic natural linewidth. The time-frequency entanglement of the photons results from the energy conservation of the continuous wave SFWM processes. We make use of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration to entangle their polarization states. By stabilizing the relative phase between the two SFWM paths, we are able to produce all four Bell states. These subnatural linewidth photon pairs with both time-frequency and polarization entanglements are ideal quantum information carriers for connecting remote atomic quantum nodes via efficient light-matter interaction in a photon-atom quantum network.