arXiv subjects

Ulrik Lund Andersen

Publications and source records attributed to Ulrik Lund Andersen.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Deterministic generation of a four-component optical cat state

The four-component cat state represents a particularly useful quantum state for realizing fault-tolerant continuous variable quantum computing. While such encoding has been experimentally generated and employed in the microwave regime, the states have not yet been produced in the optical regime. Here we propose a simple linear optical circuit combined with photon counters for the generation of such optical four-component cat states. This work might pave the way for the first experimental generation of fault-tolerant optical continuous variable quantum codes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Ultrathin 2 nm gold as ideal impedance-matched absorber for infrared light

Thermal detectors are a cornerstone of infrared (IR) and terahertz (THz) technology due to their broad spectral range. These detectors call for suitable broad spectral absorbers with minimalthermal mass. Often this is realized by plasmonic absorbers, which ensure a high absorptivity butonly for a narrow spectral band. Alternativly, a common approach is based on impedance-matching the sheet resistance of a thin metallic film to half the free-space impedance. Thereby, it is possible to achieve a wavelength-independent absorptivity of up to 50 %, depending on the dielectric properties of the underlying substrate. However, existing absorber films typicallyrequire a thickness of the order of tens of nanometers, such as titanium nitride (14 nm), whichcan significantly deteriorate the response of a thermal transducers. Here, we present the application of ultrathin gold (2 nm) on top of a 1.2 nm copper oxide seed layer as an effective IR absorber. An almost wavelength-independent and long-time stable absorptivity of 47(3) %, ranging from 2 $μ$m to 20 $μ$m, could be obtained and is further discussed. The presented gold thin-film represents analmost ideal impedance-matched IR absorber that allows a significant improvement of state-of-the-art thermal detector technology.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

A Compact, Mobile, Low-Threshold Squeezed Light Source

Strongly squeezed light finds many important applications within the fields of quantum metrology, quantum communication and quantum computation. However, due to the bulkiness and complexity of most squeezed light sources of today, they are still not a standard tool in quantum optics labs. We have taken the first steps in realizing a compact, high-performance 1550 nm squeezing source based on commercially available fiber components combined with a free-space double-resonant parametric down-conversion source. The whole setup, including single-pass second-harmonic generation in a waveguide, fits on a small breadboard and produces 9.3 dB of squeezing at a 5 MHz sideband-frequency. The setup is currently limited by phase noise, but further optimization and development should allow for a 19" sized turn-key squeezing source capable of delivering more than 10 dB of squeezing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Clock transition by continuous dynamical decoupling of a three-level system

We present a novel continuous dynamical decoupling scheme for the construction of a robust qubit in a three-level system. By means of a clock transition adjustment, we first show how robustness to environmental noise is achieved, while eliminating drive-noise, to first-order. We demonstrate this scheme with the spin sub-levels of the NV-centre's electronic ground state. By applying drive fields with moderate Rabi frequencies, the drive noise is eliminated and an improvement of 2 orders of magnitude in the coherence time is obtained compared to the pure dephasing time. We then show how the clock transition adjustment can be tuned to eliminate also the second-order effect of the environmental noise with moderate drive fields. A further improvement of more than 1 order of magnitude in the coherence time is expected and confirmed by simulations. Hence, our scheme prolongs the coherence time towards the lifetime-limit using a relatively simple experimental setup.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Opto-magnetic imaging of neural network activity in brain slices at high resolution using color centers in diamond

We suggest a novel approach for wide-field imaging of the neural network dynamics of brain slices that uses highly sensitivity magnetometry based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. In-vitro recordings in brain slices is a proven method for the characterization of electrical neural activity and has strongly contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms that govern neural information processing. However, traditional recordings can only acquire signals from a few positions simultaneously, which severely limits their ability to characterize the dynamics of the underlying neural networks. We suggest to radically extend the scope of this method using the wide-field imaging of the neural magnetic fields across the slice by means of NV magnetometry. Employing comprehensive computational simulations and theoretical analyses, we characterize the spatiotemporal characteristics of the neural magnetic fields and derive the required key performance parameters of an imaging setup based on NV magnetometry. In particular, we determine how the technical parameters determine the achievable spatial resolution for an optimal reconstruction of the neural currents from the measured field distributions. Finally, we compare the imaging of neural slice activity with that of a single planar pyramidal cell. Our results suggest that imaging of neural slice activity will be possible with the upcoming generation of NV magnetic field sensors, while imaging of the activity of a single planar cell remains more challenging.

q-bio.NC↗

arXiv2017

Narrow-bandwidth sensing of high-frequency fields with continuous dynamical decoupling

State-of-the-art methods for sensing weak AC fields are only efficient in the low frequency domain (< 10 MHz). The inefficiency of sensing high frequency signals is due to the lack of ability to use dynamical decoupling. In this paper we show that dynamical decoupling can be incorporated into high frequency sensing schemes and by this we demonstrate that the high sensitivity achieved for low frequency can be extended to the whole spectrum. While our scheme is general and suitable to a variety of atomic and solid-state systems, we experimentally demonstrate it with the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. For a diamond with natural abundance of $^{13}$C we achieve coherence times up to 1.43 ms resulting in a smallest detectable magnetic field strength of 4 nT at 1.6 GHz. Attributed to the inherent nature of our scheme, we observe an additional increase in coherence time due to the signal itself.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Enhanced DC-Field Metrology Using Nitrogen Vacancy Spins via Strong Collective Coupling and Fano-Scattering

Nitrogen-vacancy ensembles promise an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and resolution for magnetic field sensing under ambient conditions. However, their full sensing potential is limited by the inhomogeneous degradation of their collective coherence, while dynamical-decoupling limits sensing to the detection of AC-fields. Here we propose using the recently demonstrated cavity-protection effect for room-temperature, ensemble-based DC metrology. We identify a parameter space where strong-coupling can persist at room temperature and where the dressed states are limited solely by the dephasing of the cavity mode and the ensemble longitudinal relaxation, showing aT Hz$^{-\frac{1}{2}}$ DC-field sensitivities to be theoretically achievable with further augmentation through Fano-interference.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Increasing the photon collection rate from a single NV center with a silver mirror

In the pursuit of realizing quantum optical networks, a large variety of different approaches have been studied to achieve a single photon source on-demand. The common goal for these approaches is to harvest all the emission from a quantum emitter into a single spatial optical mode while maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio. In this work, we use a single nitrogen vacancy center in diamond as a quantum emitter operating at ambient conditions and we demonstrate an increased photon count rate up to a factor of 1.76 by placing a silver mirror fabricated on the end facet of an optical fiber near the emitter.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Experimental determination of the degree of quantum polarisation of continuous variable states

We demonstrate excitation-manifold resolved polarisation characterisation of continuous-variable (CV) quantum states. In contrast to traditional characterisation of polarisation that is based on the Stokes parameters, we experimentally determine the Stokes vector of each excitation manifold separately. Only for states with a given photon number does the methods coincide. For states with an indeterminate photon number, for example Gaussian states, the employed method gives a richer and more accurate description. We apply the method both in theory and in experiment to some common states to demonstrate its advantages.

quant-ph↗