Transition from quantum-to-classical random walk distributions with spin–orbit modes
V. S. Lamego, G. T. C. Cruz, Dennis Lima, Saif M. Al-Kuwari, J. A. O. Huguenin · Optics Letters · 2024
Quantum walks (QW) offer a speed-up advantage over random walks in quantum search applications. We present an experimental study of the transition from quantum-to-classical random walk using an emulation of the decoherence process for polarization qubits that exploits maximally non-separable spin-orbit modes of an intense laser beam for the first, to the best of our knowledge, time. We are able to continuously control the input polarization mode in an all-optical quantum walk circuit to observe transitions associated with quantum, quantum stochastic, and classical random walk distributions. The results are in agreement with theoretical expectations.