arXiv subjects

Luis Villegas-Aguilar

Publications and source records attributed to Luis Villegas-Aguilar.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A robust approach for time-bin encoded photonic quantum information protocols

Quantum states encoded in the time-bin degree of freedom of photons represent a fundamental resource for quantum information protocols. Traditional methods for generating and measuring time-bin encoded quantum states face severe challenges due to optical instabilities, complex setups, and timing resolution requirements. To circumvent these issues, we leverage an approach based on Hong-Ou-Mandel interference and we propose and demonstrate a robust and scalable protocol to generate and measure arbitrary high-dimensional time-bin quantum states. We experimentally implement the protocol in a photonic setup reaching high-fidelity quantum state tomographies of two and three-dimensional quantum states encoded in time-bins with short temporal separation. We also certify intrasystem polarization-time entanglement of single photons through a nonclassicality test. The demonstrated approach enables access to high-dimensional states and tasks that are practically inaccessible with standard schemes, thereby advancing fundamental quantum information science and opening applications in quantum communication.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Rigorous no-go theorems for heralded linear-optical state generation tasks

A major challenge in photonic quantum technologies is developing strategies to prepare suitable discrete-variable quantum states using simple input states, linear optics, and auxiliary photon measurements to identify successful outcomes. Fundamentally, this challenge arises from the lack of strong non-linearities on the single-photon level, meaning that photonic state preparation based on linear optics cannot benefit from the deterministic gate-based approach available to other physical platforms. Instead, the preparation of quantum states can be probabilistically implemented using single photons, linear-optical networks, and photon detection. However, determining whether an input state can be transformed into a target state using a specific measurement pattern - a problem that can be mapped to deciding the feasibility of a system of polynomial equations - is a complex problem in general. To solve it, we apply the Nullstellensatz Linear Algebra algorithm from algebraic geometry to quantum state generation; this can provide definitive no-go results by proving infeasibility when the state preparation task in question has no solution. We demonstrate this capability to validate and establish lower bounds on the physical resource requirements for the realization of several ubiquitous optical states and gates.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum Assemblage Tomography

A central requirement in asymmetric quantum nonlocality protocols, such as quantum steering, is the precise reconstruction of state assemblages -- statistical ensembles of quantum states correlated with remote classical signals. Here we introduce a generalized loss model for assemblage tomography that uses conical optimization techniques combined with maximum likelihood estimation. Using an evidence-based framework based on Akaike's Information Criterion, we demonstrate that our approach excels in the accuracy of reconstructions while accounting for model complexity. In comparison, standard tomographic methods fall short when applied to experimentally relevant data.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

A heralded quantum amplifier of multi-photon states

Large-scale quantum networking systems will inevitably require methods to overcome photon loss. While the no-cloning theorem forbids perfect and deterministic amplification of unknown quantum states, probabilistic heralded amplification schemes offer a viable path forward. Yet, for over a decade, successful multi-photon state amplification has remained out of reach, despite the fundamental importance of such states in achieving quantum advantage in optical applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a high-fidelity and post-selection-free amplifier for multi-photon states. We achieve heralded amplification of states with up to two photons in a single optical mode, with over a hundredfold intensity gain, and verify the coherence-preserving operation of our scheme. Our approach is scalable to higher photon numbers and enables noiseless amplification of complex multi-photon quantum states, with applications in large-scale quantum communication systems, distributed quantum metrology, and information processing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Experimental quantum randomness enhanced by a quantum network

The certification of randomness is essential for both fundamental science and information technologies. Unlike traditional random number generators, randomness obtained from nonlocal correlations is fundamentally guaranteed to be unpredictable. However, it is also highly susceptible to noise. Here, we show that extending the conventional bipartite Bell scenario to hybrid quantum networks -- which incorporate both quantum channels and entanglement sources -- enhances the robustness of certifiable randomness. Our protocol even enables randomness to be certified from Bell-local states, broadening the range of quantum states useful for this task. Through both theoretical analysis and experimental validation in a photonic network, we demonstrate enhanced performance and improved noise resilience.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonlocality activation in a photonic quantum network

Bell nonlocality refers to correlations between two distant, entangled particles that challenge classical notions of local causality. Beyond its foundational significance, nonlocality is crucial for device-independent technologies like quantum key distribution and randomness generation. Nonlocality quickly deteriorates in the presence of noise, and restoring nonlocal correlations requires additional resources. These often come in the form of many instances of the input state and joint measurements, incurring a significant resource overhead. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that single copies of Bell-local states, incapable of violating any standard Bell inequality, can give rise to nonlocality after being embedded into a quantum network of multiple parties. We subject the initial entangled state to a quantum channel that broadcasts part of the state to two independent receivers and certify the nonlocality in the resulting network by violating a tailored Bell-like inequality. We obtain these results without making any assumptions about the prepared states, the quantum channel, or the validity of quantum theory. Our findings have fundamental implications for nonlocality and enable the practical use of nonlocal correlations in real-world applications, even in scenarios dominated by noise.

quant-ph↗