arXiv subjects

Andre Stefanov

Publications and source records attributed to Andre Stefanov.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Compact Optical-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy System with Reflective Objective-Based Transducer Integration

We present an optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) system designed to overcome key limitations in conventional transducer integration within a compact microscopy configuration, while preserving high optical performance and improving acoustic detection efficiency. The system uses a reflective objective that reduces spatial constraints within the optical pathway, enabling the integration of a large-area PVDF transducer within the optical obscuration zone. The system performance was characterized through spatial resolution analysis, laser pulse energy measurement at the sample plane, and evaluation of photoacoustic signal dependence on laser pulse energy. For biological validation, OR-PAM imaging of sections from B16F10 tumors implanted in mice was performed and compared with optical microscopy and H&E stained histological sections. The results demonstrate strong spatial correlation between photoacoustic signal intensity and melanin rich regions, confirming label-free sensitivity to endogenous optical absorbers at 532 nm. This work establishes a compact OR-PAM imaging setup with improved optical-acoustic integration for high resolution biomedical imaging applications, with potential for future extension to multi-wavelength laser excitation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Polarimetric Backscattering Setup for Quantitative Scattering Parameters Retrieval

We present two backscattering polarimetric scanning setups based on point-illumination schemes, that are designed to probe the optical properties of subsurface media. We describe their advantages and limitations, characterize their performance in Mueller matrix determination, and demonstrate their ability to retrieve unknown sample parameters (such as the scattering coefficient and anisotropy factor) using a maximum likelihood approach. As an experimental validation, a polystyrene suspension is investigated as a representative case. By applying Fisher information formalism on the theoretical model, we estimate boundaries of the retrieved parameters.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Noise avalanche and its quantum quenching in bosonic chains with random off-diagonal disorder

Here we discuss a phenomenon of sharp increase in the photon number noise at initial stages of propagation in tight-binding bosonic chains with off-diagonal disorder. Such a "noise avalanche" occurs under classical coherent excitation of waveguides and leads to high super-thermal photon bunching. Additional classical excitation slows but cannot quench this noise avalanche. However, an additional single-photon excitation stops the avalanche.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Optimal measurements for nonlocal correlations

A problem in quantum information theory is to find the experimental setup that maximizes the nonlocality of correlations with respect to some suitable measure such as the violation of Bell inequalities. The latter has however some drawbacks. First and foremost it is unfeasible to determine the whole set of Bell inequalities already for a few measurements and thus unfeasible to find the experimental setup maximizing their violation. Second, the Bell violation suffers from an ambiguity stemming from the choice of the normalization of the Bell coefficients. An alternative measure of nonlocality with a direct information-theoretic interpretation is the minimal amount of classical communication required for simulating nonlocal correlations. In the case of many instances simulated in parallel, the minimal communication cost per instance is called nonlocal capacity, and its computation can be reduced to a convex-optimization problem. This quantity can be computed for a higher number of measurements and turns out to be useful for finding the optimal experimental setup. Focusing on the bipartite case, in this paper, we present a simple method for maximizing the nonlocal capacity over a given configuration space and, in particular, over a set of possible measurements, yielding the corresponding optimal setup. Furthermore, we show that there is a functional relationship between Bell violation and nonlocal capacity. The method is illustrated with numerical tests and compared with the maximization of the violation of CGLMP-type Bell inequalities on the basis of entangled two-qubit as well as two-qutrit states. Remarkably, the anomaly of nonlocality displayed by qutrits turns out to be even stronger if the nonlocal capacity is employed as a measure of nonlocality.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

A simple scheme for expanding photonic cluster states for quantum information

We show how an entangled cluster state encoded in the polarization of single photons can be straightforwardly expanded by deterministically entangling additional qubits encoded in the path degree of freedom of the constituent photons. This can be achieved using a polarization--path controlled-phase gate. We experimentally demonstrate a practical and stable realization of this approach by using a Sagnac interferometer to entangle a path qubit and polarization qubit on a single photon. We demonstrate precise control over phase of the path qubit to change the measurement basis and experimentally demonstrate properties of measurement-based quantum computing using a 2 photon, 3 qubit cluster state.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Manipulating multi-photon entanglement in waveguide quantum circuits

On-chip integrated photonic circuits are crucial to further progress towards quantum technologies and in the science of quantum optics. Here we report precise control of single photon states and multi-photon entanglement directly on-chip. We manipulate the state of path-encoded qubits using integrated optical phase control based on resistive elements, observing an interference contrast of 98.2+/-0.3%. We demonstrate integrated quantum metrology by observing interference fringes with 2- and 4-photon entangled states generated in a waveguide circuit, with respective interference contrasts of 97.2+/-0.4% and 92+/-4%, sufficient to beat the standard quantum limit. Finally, we demonstrate a reconfigurable circuit that continuously and accurately tunes the degree of quantum interference, yielding a maximum visibility of 98.2+/- 0.9%. These results open up adaptive and fully reconfigurable photonic quantum circuits not just for single photons, but for all quantum states of light.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2007

Gas phase sorting of nanoparticles

We discuss Stark deflectometry of micro-modulated molecular beams for the enrichment of biomolecular isomers as well as single-wall carbon nanotubes and we demonstrate the working principle of this idea with fullerenes. The sorting is based on the species-dependent polarizability-to-mass ratio $α/m$. The device is compatible with a high molecular throughput, and the spatial micro-modulation of the beam permits to obtain a fine spatial resolution and a high sorting sensitivity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2007

Slow beams of massive molecules

Slow beams of neutral molecules are of great interest for a wide range of applications, from cold chemistry through precision measurements to tests of the foundations of quantum mechanics. We report on the quantitative observation of thermal beams of perfluorinated macromolecules with masses up to 6000 amu, reaching velocities down to 11 m/s. Such slow, heavy and neutral molecular beams are of importance for a new class of experiments in matter-wave interferometry and we also discuss the requirements for further manipulation and cooling schemes with molecules in this unprecedented mass range.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2007

Experimental realization of a quantum game on a one-way quantum computer

We report the first demonstration of a quantum game on an all-optical one-way quantum computer. Following a recent theoretical proposal we implement a quantum version of Prisoner's Dilemma, where the quantum circuit is realized by a 4-qubit box-cluster configuration and the player's local strategies by measurements performed on the physical qubits of the cluster. This demonstration underlines the strength and versatility of the one-way model and we expect that this will trigger further interest in designing quantum protocols and algorithms to be tested in state-of-the-art cluster resources.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2006

A scalable optical detection scheme for matter wave interferometry

Imaging of surface adsorbed molecules is investigated as a novel detection method for matter wave interferometry with fluorescent particles. Mechanically magnified fluorescence imaging turns out to be an excellent tool for recording quantum interference patterns. It has a good sensitivity and yields patterns of high visibility. The spatial resolution of this technique is only determined by the Talbot gratings and can exceed the optical resolution limit by an order of magnitude. A unique advantage of this approach is its scalability: for certain classes of nano-sized objects, the detection sensitivity will even increase significantly with increasing size of the particle.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2002

Quantum entanglement with acousto-optic modulators: 2-photon beatings and Bell experiments with moving beamsplitters

We present an experiment testing quantum correlations with frequency shifted photons. We test Bell inequality with 2-photon interferometry where we replace the beamsplitters by acousto-optic modulators, which are equivalent to moving beamsplitters. We measure the 2-photon beatings induced by the frequency shifts, and we propose a cryptographic scheme in relation. Finally, setting the experiment in a relativistic configuration, we demonstrate that the quantum correlations are not only independent of the distance but also of the time ordering between the two single-photon measurements.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2001

Quantum correlations versus Multisimultaneity: an experimental test

Multisimultaneity is a causal model of relativistic quantum physics which assigns a real time ordering to any set of events, much in the spirit of the pilot-wave picture. Contrary to standard quantum mechanics, it predicts a disappearance of the correlations in a Bell-type experiment when both analysers are in relative motion such that, each one in its own inertial reference frame, is first to select the output of the photons. We tested this prediction using acousto-optic modulators as moving beam-splitters and interferometers separated by 55 m. We didn't observe any disappearance of the correlations, thus refuting Multisimultaneity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2001

Faint laser quantum key distribution: Eavesdropping exploiting multiphoton pulses

The technological possibilities of a realistic eavesdropper are discussed. Two eavesdropping strategies taking profit of multiphoton pulses in faint laser QKD are presented. We conclude that, as long as storage of Qubits is technically impossible, faint laser QKD is not limited by this security issue, but mostly by the detector noise.

quant-ph↗