Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections
We report on a novel phase-locking technique for fiber-based Mach–Zehnder interferometers based on discrete single-photon detections, and demonstrate this in a setup. Our interferometer decodes relative-phase-encoded optical pulse pairs for quantum key distribution applications and requires no locki...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ad0752 |
| _version_ | 1797635672093229056 |
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| author | Bastian Hacker Kevin Günthner Conrad Rößler Christoph Marquardt |
| author_facet | Bastian Hacker Kevin Günthner Conrad Rößler Christoph Marquardt |
| author_sort | Bastian Hacker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report on a novel phase-locking technique for fiber-based Mach–Zehnder interferometers based on discrete single-photon detections, and demonstrate this in a setup. Our interferometer decodes relative-phase-encoded optical pulse pairs for quantum key distribution applications and requires no locking laser in addition to the weak received signal. Our new simple locking scheme is shown to produce an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck dynamic and achieve optimal phase noise for a given count rate. In case of wavelength drifts that arise during the reception of Doppler-shifted satellite signals, the arm-length difference gets continuously readjusted to keep the interferometer phase stable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:24:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f11a45000864c4681a863366ba9d9ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:24:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f11a45000864c4681a863366ba9d9ab2023-11-06T11:58:51ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302023-01-01251111300710.1088/1367-2630/ad0752Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detectionsBastian Hacker0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3691-2274Kevin Günthner1Conrad Rößler2Christoph Marquardt3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5045-513XMax Planck Institute for the Science of Light , Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstr. 7 A3, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyMax Planck Institute for the Science of Light , Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstr. 7 A3, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyMax Planck Institute for the Science of Light , Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstr. 7 A3, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyMax Planck Institute for the Science of Light , Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstr. 7 A3, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyWe report on a novel phase-locking technique for fiber-based Mach–Zehnder interferometers based on discrete single-photon detections, and demonstrate this in a setup. Our interferometer decodes relative-phase-encoded optical pulse pairs for quantum key distribution applications and requires no locking laser in addition to the weak received signal. Our new simple locking scheme is shown to produce an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck dynamic and achieve optimal phase noise for a given count rate. In case of wavelength drifts that arise during the reception of Doppler-shifted satellite signals, the arm-length difference gets continuously readjusted to keep the interferometer phase stable.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ad0752interferometryMach–Zehnderphase-lockingfeedbackquantum communicationquantum key distribution |
| spellingShingle | Bastian Hacker Kevin Günthner Conrad Rößler Christoph Marquardt Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections New Journal of Physics interferometry Mach–Zehnder phase-locking feedback quantum communication quantum key distribution |
| title | Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections |
| title_full | Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections |
| title_fullStr | Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections |
| title_short | Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections |
| title_sort | phase locking an interferometer with single photon detections |
| topic | interferometry Mach–Zehnder phase-locking feedback quantum communication quantum key distribution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ad0752 |
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