title: 1.5-μm band polarization entangled photon-pair source with variable Bell states.
abstract: In this paper we report a polarization-entangled photon-pair source in a 1.5-μm band which can generate arbitrary entangled states including four maximum entangled states (Bell states) by using cascaded optical second nonlinearities (second-harmonic generation and the following spontaneous parametric down conversion) in a periodically poled LiNbO(3) (PPLN) ridge-waveguide device. Exchange among the Bell states was achieved by using an optical phase bias compensator (OPBC) in a Sagnac loop interferometer and a half-wave plate outside the loop for polarization conversion. Quantitative evaluation was made on the performance of the photon-pair source through the experiments of two-photon interferences, quantum state tomography, and test of violation of Bell inequality. We observed high visibilities of 96%, fidelities of 97%, and 2.71 of the S parameter in inequality of Clauser, Horne, Shimony, and Holt (CHSH). The experimental values, including peak coincidence counts in the two-photon interference (approximately 170 counts per second), remained almost unchanged in despite of the exchange among the Bell states. They were also in good agreement with the theoretical assumption from the mean number of the photon-pairs under the test (0.04 per pulse). More detailed experimental studies on the dependence of the mean number of the photon-pairs revealed that the quantum states were well understood as the Werner state.
authors.affiliation: Corporate Research & Development Center, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., 1-16-8 Chuou, Warabi-shi, Saitama 335-8510, Japan. arahira335@oki.com
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arahira
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murai
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017785:Photons; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation