arXiv subjects

Kaushik Joarder

Publications and source records attributed to Kaushik Joarder.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Entanglement swapping in high dimensions with only linear optics

Entanglement swapping is a fundamental building block for realizing first-generation quantum repeaters, which are essential for building global quantum networks. Current quantum repeater systems still struggle to achieve practical communication rates. High-dimensional (HD) encoding can significantly improve repeater efficiency by boosting information capacity and enhancing noise tolerance and security. However, the experimental demonstration of this protocol so far has been limited only to two-dimensional systems due to the requirement of strong nonlinear interactions. Here, we theoretically show that a modular linear-optics setup can implement HD entanglement swapping based on ancillary photons. For a four-dimensional scenario, we present an experimental design that employs hyper-entanglement in the polarization and time-bin degrees of freedom. This setup resolves the most challenging part of the ancillary photons-based approach, namely the necessary preparation of the ancilla state and the analysis of the resulting swapped state.

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arXiv2026

Asynchronous Multi-photon Interference for Quantum Networks

Advanced quantum communication protocols require high-visibility quantum interference between photons generated at distant nodes, which places stringent demands on optical synchronization. Conventionally, synchronization of optical wave packets relies on pulsed sources and precise optical path stabilization. An alternative approach employs continuous-wave (CW) photon-pair sources, where temporal indistinguishability is enforced by post-selecting detection events within a coincidence window $τ_w$ shorter than the photon coherence time $T_c$. Despite its conceptual simplicity, the quantitative relation between relevant time scales, achievable interference visibility, and usable multi-photon rates has remained unclear. Here, we develop in detail and experimentally validate a theoretical framework that quantitatively describes time-resolved multi-photon interference in the CW regime. We explicitly incorporate detector timing jitter, photon coherence time, and temporal post-selection. The model is verified using four-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel interference measurements. Based on this validated framework, we determine the coincidence window that maximizes usable four-photon rates for a target visibility. Finally, we compare CW and pulsed SPDC sources under equivalent indistinguishability constraints and show that CW operation can achieve comparable rates while relaxing optical synchronization requirements.

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arXiv2025

Entanglement-based Quantum Key Distribution in the Daylight and Uplink Satellite Configuration: Proof-of-Principal Demonstration and Feasibility Test

Experimental realization of entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD) in a daylight uplink (ground-to-satellite) communication channel is highly challenging due to the very low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of this configuration and it has yet to be successfully implemented to date. While current research efforts focus on weak coherent pulse (WCP) sources for daylight QKD, we present a proof-of-principle demonstration of uplink-daylight QKD in a free-space-fiber hybrid configuration using polarization-entangled photon pairs generated via a spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process. The simulated uplink channel attenuation reaches up to 50 dB, equivalent to low-earth-orbit (LEO) distances. Furthermore, the detected noise level (up to a few MHz) in the receiver telescope is representative of daylight conditions. The enhancement of SNR is achieved by implementing rigorous filtering on spatial, spectral, and temporal modes. Our ultra-bright source of entangled photons, characterized by a narrow spectral bandwidth of 0.54 nm FWHM, ensures minimal signal attenuation. We also propose a novel theoretical model of entanglement-based QKD link that fits our experimental data perfectly and is consistent with the prevailing models in the field. Our model considers a non-ideal entangled photon source and is applicable to both continuous wave (CW) and pulse-pumped sources. Using this model, we demonstrate that entanglement-based QKD is feasible under uplink daylight conditions in LEO satellites, but only up to a distance of 400 km, utilizing current state-of-the-art single-mode fiber (SMF) coupling technology.

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arXiv2022

Ultrabright Sagnac-type source of non-degenerate polarization-entangled photon pairs using only off-the-shelf optical components

We develop a Sagnac-type source of ultrabright, non-degenerate, polarization-entangled photon pair that is highly stable and compact simultaneously. We use a $20~\text{mm}$ long PPLN bulk crystal which, upon pumping continuously with $532~\text{nm}$ wavelength, produces polarization-entangled photon-pairs of $785~\text{nm}$ signal and $1651~\text{nm}$ idler wavelengths via the type-0 spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process. All optical components used in the setup are off-the-shelf components, readily available commercially; hence, no custom-designed or costly multi-wavelength polarization optics are required. At the same time, long-term phase stability is achieved without any additional active stabilization; due to the geometry of our Sagnac-type design. We also report one of the highest brightness of non-degenerate polarization-entangled photon pairs available in the literature. Even with a very low pump power of $0.034~\text{mW}$, we detect a coincidence rate of $(6.96\pm 0.03)\times10^{4}$ entangled pairs/sec/mW (averaged over three polarization-basis measurements: H/V, D/A, and R/L basis). The source's brightness is calculated to be $(6.17\pm 0.04)\times10^{6}$ entangled pairs/sec/mW for the signal line width of $0.4~\text{nm}$. From the raw coincidence counts (without any background coincidence correction), the fidelity of the entangled state is measured to be $(96.72\pm 0.01)\%$ with a concurrence of $(94.68\pm 0.20)\%$. Bell-CHSH inequality violation is reported as $S=2.71\pm 0.06$.

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arXiv2021

Loophole free interferometric test of macrorealism using heralded single photons

We show unambiguous violations of different macrorealist inequalities, like the LGI and the WLGI using a heralded, single-photon based experimental setup comprising one Mach-Zehnder interferometer followed by a displaced Sagnac one. The negative result measurements (NRM) are implemented in order to validate the presumption of non-invasive measurability used in defining macrorealism. Among all the experiments to date testing macrorealism, the present experiment stands out in comprehensively addressing the relevant loopholes. The clumsiness loophole is addressed through precision testing of any classical invasiveness involved in the implementation of NRMs. This is done by suitably choosing the experimental parameters so that the quantum mechanically (QM) predicted validity of all the relevant two-time no-signalling in time (NSIT) conditions is maintained in all the three pairwise experiments performed to show LGI/WLGI violation. Further, importantly, the detection efficiency loophole is addressed by adopting suitable modifications in the measurement strategy enabling the demonstration of the violation of LGI/WLGI for any non-zero detection efficiency. We also show how other relevant loopholes like the multiphoton emission loophole, coincidence loophole, and the preparation state loophole are all closed in the present experiment. We report the LGI violation of $1.32 \pm 0.04$ and the WLGI violation of $0.10 \pm 0.02$, where the magnitudes of violation are respectively 8 times and 5 times the corresponding error values, while agreeing perfectly with the ranges of the QM predicted values of the LGI, WLGI expressions that we estimate by taking into account the non-idealities of the actual experiment. Simultaneously, the experimentally observed probabilities satisfy all the two-time NSIT conditions up to the order of $10^{-2}$, which ensures non-invasiveness in the implemented NRMs.

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arXiv2019

qkdSim: An experimenter's simulation toolkit for QKD with imperfections, and its performance analysis with a demonstration of the B92 protocol using heralded photon

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is one of the most important aspects of quantum cryptography. Using laws of quantum mechanics as the basis for security, the key distribution process is made information theoretically secure in QKD. With the advancement and commercialization of QKD, an end-to-end QKD simulation software is required that can include experimental imperfections. Software of this kind will ensure that resources are invested only after prior performance analysis, and is faithful to experimental capacities and limitations. In this work, we introduce our QKD simulation toolkit qkdSim, which is ultimately aimed at being developed into such a software package that can precisely model and analyse any generic QKD protocol. We present the design, implementation and testing of a prototype of qkdSim that can accurately simulate our own experimental demonstration of the B92 protocol. The simulation results match well with experiment; a representative key rate and QBER from experiment is $51 \pm 0.5$ Kbits/sec and $4.79\% \pm 0.01\%$ respectively, wherein the simulation yields $52.83 \pm 0.36$ Kbits/sec and $4.79\% \pm 0.01\%$ respectively.

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arXiv2019

Near-100 % two-photon-like coincidence-visibility dip with classical light and the role of complementarity

The Hong-Ou-Mandel effect is considered a signature of the quantumness of light, as the dip in coincidence probability using semi-classical theories has an upper bound of 50%. Here we show, theoretically and experimentally, that, with proper phase control of the signals, classical pulses can mimic a Hong-Ou-Mandel-like dip. We demonstrate a dip of 99.635 +/- 0.002% with classical microwave fields. Quantumness manifests in wave-particle complementarity of the two-photon state. We construct quantum and classical interferometers for the complementarity test and show that while the two-photon state shows wave-particle complementarity, the classical pulses do not.

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arXiv2019

Single photon sources: ubiquitous tools in quantum information processing

Quantum technologies are the next big revolution in information technologies, computing, communication security, sensing as well as metrology. What do you use to explore all these fascinating applications when you work in Optics? Photons of course. In this review, we discuss the different available single photon source technologies, compare and contrast them in terms of applicability and properties, discuss state of the art and conclude that the future is indeed bright!

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