2004/08/31 by Sebastian E. Ahnert, S. E. Ahnert, M. C. Payne · 5 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.71.012330
published as Phys. Rev. A 71, 012330 (2005) · 5 pages, newer version with minor additions
arxiv created 2004/11/12 · openalex publication_date 2005/01/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Positive-operator-value measures (POVM's) are the most general class of quantum measurements. We propose a setup in which all possible POVM's of a single-photon polarization state (corresponding to all possible sets of two-dimensional Kraus operators) can be implemented easily using linear optics elements. This method makes it possible to experimentally realize any projective orthogonal, projective nonorthogonal or nonprojective sets of any number of POVM operators. Furthermore, our implementation only requires vacuum ancillas and is deterministic rather than probabilistic. Thus it realizes every POVM with the correct set of output states. We give the settings required to implement two different well-known nonorthogonal projective POVM's.