Potocek, V., Miatto, F. M., Mirhosseini, M., Magaña-Loaiza, O. S., Liapis, A. C., Oi, D. K.L., Boyd, R. W. and Jeffers, J. (2015) Quantum Hilbert hotel. Physical Review Letters, 115(16), 160505. (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.160505)
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Abstract
In 1924 David Hilbert conceived a paradoxical tale involving a hotel with an infinite number of rooms to illustrate some aspects of the mathematical notion of “infinity.” In continuous-variable quantum mechanics we routinely make use of infinite state spaces: here we show that such a theoretical apparatus can accommodate an analog of Hilbert’s hotel paradox. We devise a protocol that, mimicking what happens to the guests of the hotel, maps the amplitudes of an infinite eigenbasis to twice their original quantum number in a coherent and deterministic manner, producing infinitely many unoccupied levels in the process. We demonstrate the feasibility of the protocol by experimentally realizing it on the orbital angular momentum of a paraxial field. This new non-Gaussian operation may be exploited, for example, for enhancing the sensitivity of NOON states, for increasing the capacity of a channel, or for multiplexing multiple channels into a single one.
Item Type: | Articles |
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Keywords: | Quantum operations Orbital angular momentum |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Potocek, Dr Vaclav |
Authors: | Potocek, V., Miatto, F. M., Mirhosseini, M., Magaña-Loaiza, O. S., Liapis, A. C., Oi, D. K.L., Boyd, R. W., and Jeffers, J. |
Subjects: | Q Science > QC Physics |
College/School: | College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy |
Research Group: | Quantum Theory |
Journal Name: | Physical Review Letters |
Publisher: | American Physical Society |
ISSN: | 0031-9007 |
ISSN (Online): | 1079-7114 |
Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2015 American Physical Society |
First Published: | First published in Physical Review Letters 115(16):160505 |
Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a creative commons license |
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