Multimode Time-Delay Interferometer for Free-Space Quantum Communication

Abstract

Quantum communication schemes such as quantum key distribution (QKD) and superdense teleportation provide unique opportunities to communicate information securely. Increasingly, optical communication is being extended to free-space channels, but atmospheric turbulence in free-space channels requires optical receivers and measurement infrastructure to support many spatial modes. Here, we present a multimode Michelson-type time-delay interferometer using a field-widened design for the measurement of phase-encoded states in free-space communication schemes. The interferometer is constructed using glass beam paths to provide thermal stability, a field-widened angular tolerance, and a compact footprint. The performance of the interferometer is highlighted by measured visibilities of 99.02±0.05% and 98.38±0.01% for single- and multimode inputs, respectively. Additionally, high-quality multimode interference is demonstrated for arbitrary spatial-mode structures and for temperature changes of ±1.0°C. The interferometer has a measured optical-path-length drift of 130nm/C near room temperature. With this setup, we demonstrate the measurement of a two-peaked multimode single-photon state used in time-phase QKD with a visibility of 97.37±0.01%.

DOI
10.1103/PhysRevApplied.13.024047
Year