Tolerance-enhanced SU(1,1) interferometers using asymmetric gain

SU(1,1) interferometers play an important role in quantum metrology. Previous studies focus on various inputs and detection strategies with symmetric gain. In this paper, we analyze a modified SU(1,1) interferometer using asymmetric gain. Two vacuum states are used as the input and on–off detection is performed at the output. In a lossless scenario,symmetric gain is the optimal selection and the corresponding phase sensitivity can achieve the Heisenberg limit as well as the quantum Cramer–Rao bound. In addition, we analyze the phase sensitivity with symmetric gain in the lossy scenario.The phase sensitivity is sensitive to internal losses but extremely robust against external losses. We address the optimal asymmetric gain and the results suggest that this method can improve the tolerance to internal losses. Our work may contribute to the practical development of quantum metrology.

Time-Modulated Hamiltonian for Interpreting Delayed-Choice Experiments via Mach-Zehnder Interferometers

Many delayed-choice experiments based on Mach-Zehnder interferometers （MZI） have been considered and made to address the fundamental problem of wave-particle duality. Conventional wisdom long holds that by inserting or removing the second beam splitter （BS2） in a controllable way, microscopic particles （photons, electrons, etc.） transporting within the MZI can lie in the quantum superposition of the wave and particle state as ψ= aw ψ wave ＋ ap ψ particle. Here we present an alternative interpretation to these delayed-choice experiments. We notice that as the BS2 is purely classical, the inserting and removing operation of the BS2 imposes a time- modulated Hamiltonian H mod （t） = a（t）Hin ＋ b（t）Hout, instead of a quantum superposition of H in and Hour as H = awHin ＋ apHout, to act upon the incident wave function. Solution of this quantum scattering problem, rather than the long held quantum eigen-problem yields a synchronically time-modulated output wave function as ψ mod （t） = a（t） ψ wave ＋b（t） ψ particle, instead of the stationary quantum superposition state ψ = aw ψ wave ＋ ap ψ particle. As a result, the probability of particle output from the MZI behaves as if they are in the superposition of the wave and particle state when many events over time accumulation are counted and averaged. We expect that these elementary but insightful analyses will shed a new light on exploring basic physics beyond the long-held wisdom of wave-particle duality and the principle of complementarity.

Atom interferometers with weak-measurement path detectors and their quantum mechanical analysis

According to the orthodox interpretation of quantum physics, wave-particle duality(WPD) is the intrinsic property of all massive microscopic particles. All gedanken or realistic experiments based on atom interferometers(AI) have so far upheld the principle of WPD, either by the mechanism of the Heisenberg’s position-momentum uncertainty relation or by quantum entanglement. In this paper, we propose and make a systematic quantum mechanical analysis of several schemes of weak-measurement atom interferometer(WM-AI) and compare them with the historical schemes of strongmeasurement atom interferometer(SM-AI), such as Einstein’s recoiling slit and Feynman’s light microscope. As the critical part of these WM-AI setups, a weak-measurement path detector(WM-PD) deliberately interacting with the atomic internal electronic quantum states is designed and used to probe the which-path information of the atom, while only inducing negligible perturbation of the atomic center-of-mass motion. Another instrument that is used to directly interact with the atomic center-of-mass while being insensitive to the internal electronic quantum states is used to monitor the atomic centerof-mass interference pattern. Two typical schemes of WM-PD are considered. The first is the micromaser-cavity path detector, which allows us to probe the spontaneously emitted microwave photon from the incoming Rydberg atom in its excited electronic state and record unanimously the which-path information of the atom. The second is the optical-lattice Bragg-grating path detector, which can split the incoming atom beam into two different directions as determined by the internal electronic state and thus encode the which-path information of the atom into the internal states of the atom. We have used standard quantum mechanics to analyze the evolution of the atomic center-of-mass and internal electronic state wave function by directly solving Schr¨odinger’s equation for the composite atom-electron-photon system in these WM-AIs. We have also compared our analysis with the theoretical and experimental studies that have been presented in the previous literature. The results show that the two sets of instruments can work separately, collectively, and without mutual exclusion to enable simultaneous observation of both wave and particle nature of the atoms to a much higher level than the historical SM-AIs, while avoiding degradation from Heisenberg’s uncertainty relation and quantum entanglement. We have further investigated the space–time evolution of the internal electronic quantum state, as well as the combined atom–detector system and identified the microscopic origin and role of quantum entanglement, as emphasized in numerous previous studies. Based on these physics insights and theoretical analyses, we have proposed several new WM-AI schemes that can help to elucidate the puzzling physics of the WPD of the atoms. The principle of WM-AI scheme and quantum mechanical analyses made in this work can be directly extended to examine the principle of WPD for other massive particles.

Common-mode noise rejection using fringe-locking method in WEP test by simultaneous dual-species atom interferometers

We theoretically investigate the application of the fringe-locking method（FLM） in the dual-species quantum test of the weak equivalence principle（WEP）.With the FLM,the measurement is performed invariably at the midfringe,and the extraction of the phase shift for atom interferometers is linearized.For the simultaneous interferometers,this linearization enables a good common-mode rejection of vibration noise,which is usually the main limit for high precision WEP tests of the dual-species kind.We note that this method also allows for an unbiased determination of the gravity accelerations difference,which meanwhile is ready to be implemented.

Coulomb-Dominated Oscillations in Fabry-Perot Quantum Hall Interferometers

Periodic resistance oscillations in Fabry-Perot quantum Hall interferometers are observed at integer filling factors of the constrictions, fc=1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Rather than the Aharonov-Bohm interference, these oscillations are attributed to the Coulomb interactions between interfering edge states and localized states in the central island of an interferometer, as confirmed by the observation of a positive slope for the lines of constant oscillation phase in the image plot of resistance in the 13 Vs plane. Similar resistance oscillations are also observed when the area A of the center regime and the backseattering probability of interfering edge states are varied, by changing the side-gate voltages and the configuration of the quantum point contacts, respectively. The oscillation amplitudes decay exponentially with temperature in the ramge of 40mK〈 T ≤ 130 mK, with a characteristic temperature T0 -25 mK, consistent with recent theoretical and experimental works.

Elementary analysis of interferometers for wave particle duality test and the prospect of going beyond the complementarity principle

A distinct method to show a quantum object behaving both as wave and as particle is proposed and described in some detail. We make a systematic analysis using the elementary methodology of quantum mechanics upon Young＇s two-slit interferometer and the Mach-Zehnder two-arm interferometer with the focus placed on how to measure the interference pattern （wave nature） and the which-way information （particle nature） of quantum objects. We design several schemes to simultaneously acquire the which-way information for an individual quantum object and the high-contrast interference pattern for an ensemble of these quantum objects by placing two sets of measurement instruments that are well separated in space and whose perturbation of each other is negligibly small within the interferometer at the same time. Yet, improper arrangement and cooperation of these two sets of measurement instruments in the interferometer would lead to failure of simultaneous observation of wave and particle behaviors. The internal freedoms of quantum objects could be harnessed to probe both the which-way information and the interference pattern for the center-of-mass motion. That quantum objects can behave beyond the wave-particle duality and the complementarity principle would stimulate new conceptual examination and exploration of quantum theory at a deeper level.

Comparison of the sensitivities for atom interferometers in two different operation methods

We investigated the sensitivities of atom interferometers in the usual fringe-scanning method （FSM） versus the fringe- locking method （FLM）. The theoretical analysis shows that for typical noises in atom interferometers, the FSM will degrade the sensitivity while the FLM does not. The sensitivity-improvement factor of the FLM over the FSM depends on the type of noises, which is validated by numerical simulations. The detailed quantitative analysis on this fundamental issue is presented, and our analysis is readily extendable to other kinds of noises as well as other fringe shapes in addition to a cosine one.

Systematic error suppression scheme of the weak equivalence principle test by dual atom interferometers in space based on spectral correlation

Systematic error suppression and test data processing are very important in improving the accuracy and sensitivity of the atom interferometer(AI)-based weak-equivalence-principle(WEP) test in space. Here we present a spectrum correlation method to investigate the test data of the AI-based WEP test in space by analyzing the characteristics of systematic errors and noises. The power spectrum of the Eotvos coefficient η, systematic errors, and noises in AI-based WEP test in space are analyzed and calculated in detail. By using the method, the WEP violation signal is modulated from direct current(DC) frequency band to alternating current(AC) frequency band. We find that the signal can be effectively extracted and the influence of systematic errors can be greatly suppressed by analyzing the power spectrum of the test data when the spacecraft is in an inertial pointing mode. Furthermore, the relation between the Eotvos coefficient η and the number of measurements is obtained under certain simulated parameters. This method will be useful for both isotopic and nonisotopic AI-based WEP tests in space.

LIGO Experiments Cannot Detect Gravitational Waves by Using Laser Michelson Interferometers—Light’s Wavelength and Speed Change Simultaneously When Gravitational Waves Exist Which Make the Detections of Gravitational Waves Impossible for LIGO Experiments

It is proved strictly based on general relativity that two important factors are neglected in LIGO experiments by using Michelson interferometers so that fatal mistakes were caused. One is that the gravitational wave changes the wavelength of light. Another is that light’s speed is not a constant when gravitational waves exist. According to general relativity, gravitational wave affects spatial distance, so it also affects the wavelength of light synchronously. By considering this fact, the phase differences of lasers were invariable when gravitational waves passed through Michelson interferometers. In addition, when gravitational waves exist, the spatial part of metric changes but the time part of metric is unchanged. In this way, light’s speed is not a constant. When the calculation method of time difference is used in LIGO experiments, the phase shift of interference fringes is still zero. So the design principle of LIGO experiment is wrong. It was impossible for LIGO to detect gravitational wave by using Michelson interferometers. Because light’s speed is not a constant, the signals of LIGO experiments become mismatching. It means that these signals are noises actually, caused by occasional reasons, no gravitational waves are detected really. In fact, in the history of physics, Michelson and Morley tried to find the absolute motion of the earth by using Michelson interferometers but failed at last. The basic principle of LIGO experiment is the same as that of Michelson-Morley experiment in which the phases of lights were invariable. Only zero result can be obtained, so LIGO experiments are destined failed to find gravitational waves.

On Gravitational Waves: Did We Simply Detect the Gravitational Effect of the Sun on the Photons Moving in the Cavity of Interferometers LIGO and VIRGO?

On September 14, 2015 09:50:45 UTC, the two laser interferometers of the LIGO program simultaneously observed a first gravitational wave signal called GW150914. With the commissioning of the VIRGO interferometer in 2017, two other detections, GW170814 and GW170817, were observed and their positions given accurately by LIGO and VIRGO. In this article, I argue that the photons circulating in the cavities of the three interferometers of LIGO and VIRGO were sensitive to the field of attraction of the planets of our Solar System and more particularly to that of the Sun, and would not be due to a coalescence of black hole or neutron stars. The shape of the signals obtained by my interaction model (called GEAR) between the photons in the interferometer cavity and the gravitational field of the Sun is very similar to that of a compact binary coalescence, identical to those obtained by general relativity. Solving the equations of GEAR also gives the exact positions and pseudo-date of the coalescences of all the LIGO and VIRGO detections detected so far, and probably those that will come at the end of 2018 and beyond.

Quantum transport through two series Aharonov-Bohm interferometers with zero total magnetic flux

With the help of nonequilibrium Green＇s function technique, the electronic transport through series Aharonov-Bohm （AB） interferometers is investigated. We obtain the AB interference pattern of the transition probability characterized by the Mgebraic sum φ and the difference θ of two magnetic fluxes, and particularly a general rule of AB oscillation period depending on the ratio of integer quantum numbers of the fluxes. A parity effect is observed, showing the asymmetric AB oscillations with respect to the even and odd quantum numbers of the total flux in antiparallel AB interferometers. It is also shown that the AB flux can shift the Fano resonance peaks of the transmission spectrum.

Utilization of Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometers with Spectral Interferometric Interrogation for Microdisplacement Measurement

The paper presents a number of signal processing approaches for the spectral interferometric interrogation of extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometers(EFPIs). The analysis of attainable microdisplacement resolution is performed and the analytical equations describing the dependence of resolution on parameters of the interrogation setup are derived. The efficiency of the proposed signal processing approaches and the validity of analytical derivations are supported by experiments. The proposed approaches allow the interrogation of up to four multiplexed sensors with attained resolution between 30 pm and 80 pm, up to three times improvement of microdisplacement resolution of a single sensor by means of using the reference interferometer and noisecompensating approach, and ability to register signals with frequencies up to 1 kHz in the case of 1 Hz spectrum acquisition rate. The proposed approaches can be used for various applications, including biomedical, industrial inspection, and others, amongst the microdisplacement measurement.

Integrated interferometers’system for in situ real-time optical signal modulation

Improving the functionality of an optical sensor on a prefabricated platform relies heavily on an optical signal conditioning method that actively modulates optical signals.In this work,we present a method for active modulation of an optical sensor response that uses fiber modal interferometers integrated in parallel.Over a broad frequency range of 1 Hz to 1 kHz,the interferometers’technology allows for adjustable amplification,attenuation,and filtering of dynamic signals.The suggested method is also used to enhance the real-time response of an optical fluid flowmeter.In order to keep tabs on different physical fields,the suggested approach promotes the creation of self-conditioning sensing systems.

Fiber Fabry-Perot Demodulation System Based on Dual Fizeau Interferometers

In this study,we present a dual-Fizeau-interferometer-based high-speed and wide-range fiber-optic Fabry-Perot(F-P)demodulation system.We employ two Fizeau interferometers with air cavity thickness satisfying the quadrature requirement to increase the demodulation speed and broaden the demodulation range in order to address the issues of the existing fiber F-P demodulation system's sluggish demodulation rate and limited range.In order to investigate the demodulation properties of the dual-Fizeau-interferometer-based demodulation system,we derive and create a theoretical model of the system.The theoretical model,which primarily consists of the structural design of the interferometer and the study of the center wavelength of the light sources and their bandwidth selection,is used to construct the optical structure of the demodulation system.According to the calculation results,the demodulated signal exhibits the best contrast ratio when the two light sources'respective center wavelengths are 780nm and 850nm,and their bandwidths are 28nm and 30 nm.Finally,we finish evaluating the demodulation system's demodulation performance,parameter calibration,and assembly debugging.The test results demonstrate the constant operation of the demodulation system,an update rate of 100kHz,a demodulation range of 4.74μm,and a cavity length resolution of approximately 5 nm.Additionally,the system can perform high speed demodulation thanks to the light emitting diode's(LED's)nanosecond level switching speed and the usage of a single point detector.

Experimental Research on Temperature Sensing of Seawater Based on Three Interferometers Incorporated With Bow Tie Fiber

Three interferometers(the Sagnac sensor,the linear polarization interferometer,and the reflecting polarization interferometer)incorporated with the bow tie fiber are proposed to detect the seawater temperature.Bow tie fiber,a kind of polarization maintaining fiber,has stress induced birefringence.The three interferometers are categorized as transmission and reflection types to analyze the sensing principles.Related experiments are performed to explore the influence of the wavelength and length of the bow tie fiber on the sensitivity and free spectral range(FSR).The sensitivity and FSR both increase with the wavelength increasing.The sensitivity fluctuates in a small range and FSR decreases with the length increasing.The reflecting polarization interferometer has the bigger sensitivity of–1.19 nm/℃than the other two.And it has the advantages of easy fabrication,simple operation,and good stability,so it is applicable in real ocean exploration.Our work can provide a reference to researchers who do oceanographic research.

A Novel Two-dimensional Low-redundancy Array Design for Solar Radio Imaging

The radioheliograph is an extensive array of antennas operating on the principle of aperture synthesis to produce images of the Sun.The image acquired by the telescope results from convoluting the Sun’s true brightness distribution with the antenna array’s directional pattern.The imaging quality of the radioheliograph is affected by a multitude of factors,with the performance of the“dirty beam”being simply one component.Other factors such as imaging methods,calibration techniques,clean algorithms,and more also play a significant influence on the resulting image quality.As the layout of the antenna array directly affects the performance of the dirty beam,the design of an appropriate antenna configuration is critical to improving the imaging quality of the radioheliograph.Based on the actual needs of observing the Sun,this work optimized the antenna array design and proposed a twodimensional low-redundancy array.The proposed array was compared with common T-shaped arrays,Y-shaped arrays,uniformly spaced circular arrays,and three-arm spiral arrays.Through simulations and experiments,their performance in terms of sampling point numbers,UV coverage area,beam-half width,sidelobe level,and performance in the absence of antennas are compared and analyzed.It was found that each of these arrays has its advantages,but the two-dimensional low-redundancy array proposed in this paper performs best in overall evaluation.It has the shortest imaging calculation time among the array types and is highly robust when antennas are missing,making it the most suitable choice.

Photonic-assisted approach for instantaneous microwave frequency measurement with tunable range by using Mach-Zehnder interferometers

A novel photonic-assisted approach to microwave frequency measurement is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed scheme is based on the frequency-to-power mapping with different transmis- sion responses. A polarizer is used in one output branch of a phase modulator to simultaneously implement phase modulation and intensity modulation. Owing to the complementary nature of the transmission re- sponses and the Mach-Zehnder interferometers （MZIs）, this scheme theoretically provides high resolution and tunable measurement range. The measurement errors in the experimental results can be kept within 0.2 GHz over a freauencv ranee from 0.1 to 5.3 GHz.

Fabrication and sensing characteristics of intrinsic Fabry–Perot interferometers in fiber tapers

This Letter presents intrinsic Fabry–Perot interferometers in the fiber tapers fabricated by the femtosecond laser micromachining technique. The sensing of temperatures as high as 1000°C based on the fiber device is characterized, with a sensitivity of 15.28 pm∕°C. A nearly linear refractive index sensing is also obtained by using the fringe visibility to characterize, with a sensitivity of 73.05 dB∕RIU. These intrinsic Fabry–Perot interferometers in fiber tapers may be useful in applications of high-temperature and linear refractive index sensing.

Phase noise characteristics of narrow-linewidth fiber laser and laser diode in unbalanced interferometers

The phase noises of two narrow-linewidth fiber laser and laser diode are measured by using unbalanced Michelson interferometers with various optical path differences （OPDs）. The measured results indicate that the phase noises of the two lasers do not change linearly with the OPD over the range from 1 to 100 m. The laser diode exhibits phase noise levels higher than that of the fiber laser at OPDs longer than 10 m. However, the laser diode outperforms the fiber laser at OPDs shorter than 10 m. The results obtained can assess laser performance and determine the suitable laser for use in a particular application.

4×4 nonblocking optical switch fabric based on cascaded multimode interferometers

We experimentally demonstrate a 4 × 4 nonblocking silicon thermo-optic(TO) switch fabric consisting of three stages of tunable generalized Mach–Zehnder interferometers. All 24 routing states for nonblocking switching are characterized. The device's footprint is 4.6 mm × 1.0 mm. Measurements show that the worst cross talk of all switching states is-7.2 dB. The on-chip insertion loss is in the range of 3.7–13.1 dB. The average TO switching power consumption is 104.8 mW.