Observer dependence of photon bunching: The influence of the relativistic redshift on Hong-Ou-Mandel interference

authored by: Roy Barzel, David Edward Bruschi, Andreas W. Schell, Claus Laemmerzahl
Abstract: We study the influence of the relativistic redshift on Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference and present a genuine quantum test of general relativity. We use Glauber's theory of quantum coherence to predict the coincidence probability of realistic broadband photons in HOM experiments in a nonrelativistic setting. We extend the quantum field theoretical framework previously developed to describe the deformation of the spectral profile of single photons in curved spacetimes to a multiphoton framework, which is exact for inertial observers in a flat spacetime and an approximation when observers are located in a curved spacetime. We find that, in case of frequency entangled photons, a mutual redshift between the sender and the receiver can change the coincidence statistics from photon bunching to photon antibunching and vice versa. This implies that the (anti)symmetry of the photonic spectral wave function is an observer dependent notion and that this can be probed via HOM experiments in a relativistic setting.
Organisation(s): Institute of Solid State Physics
CRC 1464: Relativistic and Quantum-Based Geodesy (TerraQ)
External Organisation(s): Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM)
Type: Article
Journal: Physical Review D
Volume: 105
ISSN: 2470-0010
Publication date: 20.05.2022
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2202.07950 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.105.105016 (Access: Closed)

BibTeX

@article{9a3bf0e5d59244178e0f894a85c82797,
title = "Observer dependence of photon bunching: The influence of the relativistic redshift on Hong-Ou-Mandel interference",
abstract = "We study the influence of the relativistic redshift on Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference and present a genuine quantum test of general relativity. We use Glauber's theory of quantum coherence to predict the coincidence probability of realistic broadband photons in HOM experiments in a nonrelativistic setting. We extend the quantum field theoretical framework previously developed to describe the deformation of the spectral profile of single photons in curved spacetimes to a multiphoton framework, which is exact for inertial observers in a flat spacetime and an approximation when observers are located in a curved spacetime. We find that, in case of frequency entangled photons, a mutual redshift between the sender and the receiver can change the coincidence statistics from photon bunching to photon antibunching and vice versa. This implies that the (anti)symmetry of the photonic spectral wave function is an observer dependent notion and that this can be probed via HOM experiments in a relativistic setting.",
author = "Roy Barzel and Bruschi, {David Edward} and Schell, {Andreas W.} and Claus Laemmerzahl",
note = "Funding Information: R. B. and A. W. S. were funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy—EXC-2123 QuantumFrontiers—390837967. We further gratefully acknowledge support through the TerraQ initiative from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)—Project-ID 434617780—SFB 1464 and the Research Training Group 1620 “Models of Gravity.”",
year = "2022",
month = may,
day = "20",
doi = "10.48550/arXiv.2202.07950",
language = "English",
volume = "105",
journal = "Physical Review D",
issn = "2470-0010",
publisher = "American Institute of Physics",
number = "10",
}