Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections

Hacker B, Günthner K, Rößler C, Marquardt C (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

New Journal of Physics Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals / Institute of Physics (IoP) and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft

Book Volume: 25

Pages Range: 113007

Article Number: 113007

Journal Issue: 11

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ad0752

Abstract

We report on a novel phase-locking technique for fiber-based Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on discrete single-photon detections, and demonstrate this in a setup. Our interferometer decodes relative-phase-encoded optical pulse pairs for quantum key distribution applications and requires no locking laser in addition to the weak received signal. Our new simple locking scheme is shown to produce an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck dynamic and achieve optimal phase noise for a given count rate. In case of wavelength drifts that arise during the reception of Doppler-shifted satellite signals, the arm-length difference gets continuously readjusted to keep the interferometer phase stable.

Authors with CRIS profile

Christoph Marquardt Chair of Optical Quantum Technologies

Additional Organisation(s)

FAU Profilzentrum Licht.Materie.Quantentechnologien (FAU LMQ)

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Hacker, B., Günthner, K., Rößler, C., & Marquardt, C. (2023). Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections. New Journal of Physics, 25(11), 113007. https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ad0752

MLA:

Hacker, Bastian, et al. "Phase-locking an interferometer with single-photon detections." New Journal of Physics 25.11 (2023): 113007.

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