Realization of an Ultrasensitive Heisenberg-Limited Interferometer

Abstract

Public Reporting Burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Realization of an Ultrasensitive Heisenberg-Limited Interferometer: Final Report Report Title ABSTRACTThe goal of the project "Realization of an Ultrasensitive Heisenberg-Limited Interferometer," supported by ARO grant DAAD190110721 from August 1, 2001 to July 31, 2006, was the investigation of quantum interferometry with bright nonclassical light beams emitted by an ultrastable optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Theoretical studies of the Holland-Burnett Bayesian detection scheme were conducted for realistic experimental implementation in photonic quantum optics. The main result, applicable to any boson wave (eg matter waves), is that the ultimate Heisenberg limit 1/N (N being the average number of photons detected in the measurement) can still be reached in the presence of losses for Bayesian detection, if the losses do not exceed 1/N. The main experimental results were the first demonstration of macroscopic Hong-Ou-Mandel quantum interference at a beam splitter and the demonstration of heterodyne polarimetry with a noise floor 4.8 dB below the interferometric shot noise limit (1/sqrt{N}). The latter can be applied to enhancing the sensitivity of chiral molecule detection. Realistic extensions of this study are larger amounts of squeezing (-10 dB and beyond) as well as RF broadband phase measurements, which are a direct consequence of the stability performance of our OPO and for which we also present preliminary results.