arXiv subjects

Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza

Publications and source records attributed to Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

High-density three-dimensional holography using rapid modulation of light

One of the most common methods for reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) images of real objects is digital holography. This technique relies on the use of electro-optical devices that modify the phase or amplitude of light fields in a controlled manner, the so-called spatial light modulators. However, given that holography typically requires coherent light sources, a common problem with three-dimensional projection is the crosstalk between the layers that make up the 3D object. This limits full-depth control and directly affects image quality. Interestingly, in the past few years, several methods have proven to be effective in breaking layer crosstalk by erasing the spatial coherence of light. A drawback of such solutions is that, in many cases, additional optical resources are required to achieve such a task. In this work, we present a method for high-density reconstruction of three-dimensional objects using rapid modulation of light fields by means of digital micromirror devices (DMDs). The 3D reconstruction is performed by discretizing the object into multiplane light-point contours, where the resolution of the contours is controlled by the density of the light points. This allows us to achieve point separations, in the transverse plane, as small as 100 $μ$m. The high refresh rate of the DMD ($\sim 10$ kHz) allows for a reconstruction where each point of the 3D image is spatially and temporally controlled by independent amplitude holograms, thus effectively eliminating coherence-induced multiplane crosstalk without the need for additional optical elements. Because of its simplicity and versatility, we believe that our method provides a practical route toward compact, high-resolution 3D holographic projectors.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Observation of anomalous classical-to-quantum transitions in many-body systems

The correspondence principle bridges the quantum and classical worlds by establishing a direct link between their dynamics. This well-accepted tenant of quantum physics has been explored in quantum systems wherein the number of particles is increased to macroscopic scales. However, theoretical investigations of nanoscale structures have revealed discrepancies when attempting to bridge classical and quantum physics. Here, we report on the experimental observation of anomalous classical-to-quantum transitions in open many-body optical systems. We demonstrate, for the first time, the lack of classical-to-quantum correspondence between a macroscopic optical system and its constituent quantum multiphoton subsystems. In contrast to common belief, we demonstrate that the coherence dynamics of many-body quantum subsystems with up to forty particles can indeed be opposite to that exhibited by the hosting macroscopic system. By employing complex-Gaussian statistics, we show that these effects are universal for open many-body systems. Consequently, our work can have important implications for other fields of physics ranging from condensed matter to nuclear physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Emergence of multiphoton quantum coherence by light propagation

The modification of the quantum properties of coherence of photons through their interaction with matter lies at the heart of the quantum theory of light. Indeed, the absorption and emission of photons by atoms can lead to different kinds of light with characteristic quantum statistical properties. As such, different types of light are typically associated with distinct sources. Here, we report on the observation of the modification of quantum coherence of multiphoton systems in free space. This surprising effect is produced by the scattering of thermal multiphoton wavepackets upon propagation. The modification of the excitation mode of a photonic system and its associated quantum fluctuations result in the formation of different light fields with distinct quantum coherence properties. Remarkably, we show that these processes of scattering can lead to multiphoton systems with sub-shot-noise quantum properties. Our observations are validated through the nonclassical formulation of the emblematic van Cittert-Zernike theorem. We believe that the possibility of producing quantum systems with modified properties of coherence, through linear propagation, can have dramatic implications for diverse quantum technologies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Entanglement-Based Quantum Information Technology

Entanglement is a quintessential quantum mechanical phenomenon with no classical equivalent. First discussed by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen and formally introduced by Schrödinger in 1935, entanglement has grown from a scientific debate to a radically new resource that sparks a technological revolution. This review focuses on the fundamentals and recent advances in entanglement-based quantum information technology (QIT), specifically in photonic systems. Photons are unique quantum information carriers with several advantages, such as their ability to operate at room temperature, their compatibility with existing communication and sensing infrastructures, and the availability of readily accessible optical components. Photons also interface well with other solid-state quantum platforms. We will first provide an overview on entanglement, starting with an introduction to its development from a historical perspective followed by the theory for entanglement generation and the associated representative experiments. We will then dive into the applications of entanglement-based QIT for sensing, imaging, spectroscopy, data processing, and communication. Before closing, we will present an outlook for the architecture of the next-generation entanglement-based QIT and its prospective applications.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Smart Machine Vision for Universal Spatial Mode Reconstruction

Structured light beams, in particular those carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), have gained a lot of attention due to their potential for enlarging the transmission capabilities of communication systems. However, the use of OAM-carrying light in communications faces two major problems, namely distortions introduced during propagation in disordered media, such as the atmosphere or optical fibers, and the large divergence that high-order OAM modes experience. While the use of non-orthogonal modes may offer a way to circumvent the divergence of high-order OAM fields, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have shown promise for solving the mode-distortion issue. Unfortunately, current AI-based algorithms make use of large-amount data-handling protocols that generally lead to large processing time and high power consumption. Here we show that a low-power, low-cost image sensor can itself act as an artificial neural network that simultaneously detects and reconstructs distorted OAM-carrying beams. We demonstrate the capabilities of our device by reconstructing (with a 95$\%$ efficiency) individual Vortex, Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) and Bessel modes, as well as hybrid (non-orthogonal) coherent superpositions of such modes. Our work provides a potentially useful basis for the development of low-power-consumption, light-based communication devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Engineering Photon Statistics of Spatial Light Modes

The nature of light sources is defined by the statistical fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. As such, the photon statistics of light sources are typically associated with distinct emitters. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of producing light beams with various photon statistics through the spatial modulation of coherent light. This is achieved by the sequential encoding of controllable Kolmogorov phase screens in a digital micromirror device. Interestingly, the flexibility of our scheme allows for the arbitrary shaping of spatial light modes with engineered photon statistics at different spatial positions. The performance of our scheme is assessed through the photon-number-resolving characterization of different families of spatial light modes with engineered photon statistics. We believe that the possibility of controlling the photon fluctuations of the light field at arbitrary spatial locations has important implications for quantum spectroscopy, sensing, and imaging.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Witnessing Entangled Two-Photon Absorption via Quantum Interferometry

Recent investigations suggest that the use of non-classical states of light, such as entangled photon pairs, may open new and exciting avenues in experimental two-photon absorption spectroscopy. Despite several experimental studies of entangled two-photon absorption (eTPA), there is still a heated debate on whether eTPA has truly been observed. This interesting debate has arisen, mainly because it has been recently argued that single-photon-loss mechanisms, such as scattering or hot-band absorption may mimic the expected entangled-photon linear absorption behavior. In this work, we focus on transmission measurements of eTPA, and explore three different two-photon quantum interferometers in the context of assessing eTPA. We demonstrate that the so-called N00N-state configuration is the only one amongst those considered insensitive to linear (single-photon) losses. Remarkably, our results show that N00N states may become a potentially powerful tool for quantum spectroscopy, and place them as a strong candidate for the certification of eTPA in an arbitrary sample.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Multiphoton Quantum van Cittert-Zernike Theorem

Recent progress on quantum state engineering has enabled the preparation of quantum photonic systems comprising multiple interacting particles. Interestingly, multiphoton quantum systems can host many complex forms of interference and scattering processes that are essential to perform operations that are intractable on classical systems. Unfortunately, the quantum coherence properties of multiphoton systems degrade upon propagation leading to undesired quantum-to-classical transitions. Furthermore, the manipulation of multiphoton quantum systems requires of nonlinear interactions at the few-photon level. Here, we introduce the quantum van Cittert-Zernike theorem to describe the scattering and interference effects of propagating multiphoton systems. This fundamental theorem demonstrates that the quantum statistical fluctuations, which define the nature of diverse light sources, can be modified upon propagation in the absence of light-matter interactions. The generality of our formalism unveils the conditions under which the evolution of multiphoton systems can lead to surprising classical-to-quantum transitions. Specifically, we show that the implementation of conditional measurements may enable the all-optical preparation of multiphoton systems with attenuated quantum statistics below the shot-noise limit. Remarkably, this effect had not been discussed before and cannot be explained through the classical theory of optical coherence. As such, our work opens new paradigms within the established field of quantum coherence.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Experimental Implementation of the Fractional Vortex Hilbert's Hotel

The Hilbert hotel is an old mathematical paradox about sets of infinite numbers. This paradox deals with the accommodation of a new guest in a hotel with an infinite number of occupied rooms. Over the past decade, there have been many attempts to implement these ideas in photonic systems. In addition to the fundamental interest that this paradox has attracted, this research is motivated by the implications that the Hilbert hotel has for quantum communication and sensing. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate the fractional vortex Hilbert's hotel scheme proposed by G. Gbur [Optica 3, 222-225 (2016)]. More specifically, we performed an interference experiment using the fractional orbital angular momentum of light to verify the Hilbert's infinite hotel paradox. In our implementation, the reallocation of a guest in new rooms is mapped to interference fringes that are controlled through the topological charge of an optical beam.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Conditional Quantum Plasmonic Sensing

The possibility of using weak optical signals to perform sensing of delicate samples constitutes one of the main goals of quantum photonic sensing. Furthermore, the nanoscale confinement of electromagnetic near fields in photonic platforms through surface plasmon polaritons has motivated the development of highly sensitive quantum plasmonic sensors. Despite the enormous potential of plasmonic platforms for sensing, this class of sensors is ultimately limited by the quantum statistical fluctuations of surface plasmons. Indeed, the fluctuations of the electromagnetic field severely limit the performance of quantum plasmonic sensing platforms in which delicate samples are characterized using weak near-field signals. Furthermore, the inherent losses associated with plasmonic fields levy additional constraints that challenge the realization of sensitivities beyond the shot-noise limit. Here, we introduce a protocol for quantum plasmonic sensing based on the conditional detection of plasmons. We demonstrate that the conditional detection of plasmonic fields, via plasmon subtraction, provides a new degree of freedom to control quantum fluctuations of plasmonic fields. This mechanism enables improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio of photonic sensors relying on plasmonic signals that are comparable to their associated field fluctuations. Consequently, the possibility of using weak plasmonic signals to sense delicate samples, while preserving the sample properties, has important implications for molecule sensing, and chemical detection .

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

High-dimensional encryption in optical fibers using machine learning

The ability to engineer the spatial wavefunction of photons has enabled a variety of quantum protocols for communication, sensing, and information processing. These protocols exploit the high dimensionality of structured light enabling the encodinng of multiple bits of information in a single photon, the measurement of small physical parameters, and the achievement of unprecedented levels of security in schemes for cryptography. Unfortunately, the potential of structured light has been restrained to free-space platforms in which the spatial profile of photons is preserved. Here, we make an important step forward to using structured light for fiber optical communication. We introduce a smart high-dimensional encryption protocol in which the propagation of spatial modes in multimode fibers is used as a natural mechanism for encryption. This provides a secure communication channel for data transmission. The information encoded in spatial modes is retrieved using artificial neural networks, which are trained from the intensity distributions of experimentally detected spatial modes. Our on-fiber communication platform allows us to use spatial modes of light for high-dimensional bit-by-bit and byte-by-byte encoding. This protocol enables one to recover messages and images with almost perfect accuracy. Our smart protocol for high-dimensional optical encryption in optical fibers has key implications for quantum technologies relying on structured fields of light, particularly those that are challenged by free-space propagation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Observation of the Modification of Quantum Statistics of Plasmonic Systems

For almost two decades, it has been believed that the quantum statistical properties of bosons are preserved in plasmonic systems. This idea has been stimulated by experimental work reporting the possibility of preserving nonclassical correlations in light-matter interactions mediated by scattering among photons and plasmons. Furthermore, it has been assumed that similar dynamics underlies the conservation of the quantum fluctuations that define the nature of light sources. Here, we demonstrate that quantum statistics are not always preserved in plasmonic systems and report the first observation of their modification. Moreover, we show that multiparticle scattering effects induced by confined optical near fields can lead to the modification of the excitation mode of plasmonic systems. These observations are validated through the quantum theory of optical coherence for single- and multi-mode plasmonic systems. Our findings constitute a new paradigm in the understanding of the quantum properties of plasmonic systems and unveil new paths to perform exquisite control of quantum multiparticle systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Reconfigurable Network for Quantum Transport Simulation

In 1981, Richard Feynman discussed the possibility of performing quantum mechanical simulations of nature. Ever since, there has been an enormous interest in using quantum mechanical systems, known as quantum simulators, to mimic specific physical systems. Hitherto, these controllable systems have been implemented on different platforms that rely on trapped atoms, superconducting circuits and photonic arrays. Unfortunately, these platforms do not seem to satisfy, at once, all desirable features of an universal simulator, namely long-lived coherence, full control of system parameters, low losses, and scalability. Here, we overcome these challenges and demonstrate robust simulation of quantum transport phenomena using a state-of-art reconfigurable electronic network. To test the robustness and precise control of our platform, we explore the ballistic propagation of a single-excitation wavefunction in an ordered lattice, and its localization due to disorder. We implement the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model to directly observe the emergence of topologically-protected one-dimensional edge states. Furthermore, we present the realization of the so-called perfect transport protocol, a key milestone for the development of scalable quantum computing and communication. Finally, we show the first simulation of the exciton dynamics in the B800 ring of the purple bacteria LH2 complex. The high fidelity of our simulations together with the low decoherence of our device make it a robust, versatile and promising platform for the simulation of quantum transport phenomena.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Single-shot Precise Ranging using Twisted Light

Over the past decade, optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes were shown to offer advantages in optical information acquisition. Here, we introduce a new scheme for optical ranging in which depth is estimated through the angular rotation of petal-like patterns produced by superposition of OAM modes. Uncertainty of depth estimation in our strategy depends on how fast the petal-like pattern rotates and how precisely the rotation angle can be estimated. The impact of these two factors on ranging accuracy are analyzed in presence of noise. We show that focusing the probe beam provides a quadratic enhancement on ranging accuracy because rotation speed of the beam is inversely proportional to the square of beam radius. Uncertainty of depth estimation is also proportional to uncertainty of rotation estimation, which can be optimized by picking proper OAM superposition. Finally, we unveil the possibility of optical ranging for scattering surface with uncertainties of few micrometers under noise. Unlike existing methods which rely on continuous detection for a period of time to achieve such ranging accuracy, our scheme needs only single-shot measurement.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Theoretical analysis of quantum random walks with stress-engineered optics

Quantum random walks (QRWs) are random processes in which the resulting probability density of the "walker" state, whose movement is governed by a "coin" state, is described in a non-classical manner. Previously, Q-plates have been used to demonstrate QRWs with polarization and orbital angular momentum playing the role of coin and walker states, respectively. In this theoretical analysis, we show how stress-engineered optics can be used to develop new platforms for complex QRWs through relative simple optical elements. Our work opens up new paths to speed up classical-to-quantum transitions in robust photonic networks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Control of Structured Light Enables Nearly Perfect Noise-filtering

The performance of laser-based active sensing has been severely limited by two types of noise: electrical noise, stemming from elements; optical noise, laser jamming from an eavesdropper and background from environment. Conventional methods to filter optical noise take advantage of the differences between signal and noise in time, wavelength, and polarization. However, they may be limited when the noise and signal share the same information on these degrees of freedoms (DoFs). In order to overcome this drawback, we experimentally demonstrate a groundbreaking noise-filtering method by controlling orbital angular momentum (OAM) to distinguish signal from noise. We provide a proof-of-principle experiment and discuss the dependence of azimuthal index of OAM and detection aperture on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Our results suggest that using OAM against noise is an efficient method, offering a new route to optical sensing immersed in high-level noise.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Exceptional points of any order in a single, lossy, waveguide beamsplitter by photon-number-resolved detection

Exceptional points (EPs) are degeneracies of non-Hermitian operators where, in addition to the eigenvalues, corresponding eigenmodes become degenerate. Classical and quantum photonic systems with EPs have attracted tremendous attention due to their unusual properties, topological features, and an enhanced sensitivity that depends on the order of the EP, i.e. the number of degenerate eigenmodes. Yet, experimentally engineering higher-order EPs in classical or quantum domains remains an open challenge due to the stringent symmetry constraints that are required for the coalescence of multiple eigenmodes. Here we analytically show that the number-resolved dynamics of a single, lossy, waveguide beamsplitter, excited by $N$ indistinguishable photons and post-selected to the $N$-photon subspace, will exhibit an EP of order $N+1$. By using the well-established mapping between a beamsplitter Hamiltonian and the perfect state transfer model in the photon-number space, we analytically obtain the time evolution of a general $N$-photon state, and numerically simulate the system's evolution in the post-selected manifold. Our results pave the way towards realizing robust, arbitrary-order EPs on demand in a single device.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Measurement of the Photon-Plasmon Coupling Phase

Scattering processes have played a crucial role in the development of quantum theory. In the field of optics, scattering phase shifts have been utilized to unveil interesting forms of light-matter interactions. Here, we investigate the mode-coupling phase of single photons to surface plasmon polaritons in a quantum plasmonic tritter. We observe that the coupling process induces a phase jump that occurs when photons scatter into surface plasmons and vice versa. This interesting coupling phase dynamics is of particular relevance for quantum plasmonic experiments. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that this photon-plasmon interaction can be modeled through a quantum-mechanical tritter. We show that the visibility of a double-slit and a triple-slit interference patterns are convenient observables to characterize the interaction at a slit and determine the coupling phase. Our accurate and simple model of the interaction, validated by simulations and experiments, has important implications not only for quantum plasmonic interference effects, but is also advantageous to classical applications.

physics.optics↗