Observation of a generalized bunching effect of six photons.
When photons are indistinguishably in the same temporal mode, their detection probability is greatly enhanced due to constructive multiphoton interference, as compared to the case when they are distinguishable. We observed for what is believed to be the first time such a photon bunching effect for six photons. The observed enhancement factor in six-photon coincidence measurement is 17+/-2, which is close to a factor of 20 for an ideal case. Our result confirms that the six photons that we obtain have a high degree of indistinguishability.
Niu
Xiao-Ling
XL
Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230026, China.
Gong
Yan-Xiao
YX
Liu
Bi-Heng
BH
Huang
Yun-Feng
YF
Guo
Guang-Can
GC
Ou
Z Y
ZY