2010/02/17 by Jonas S. Neergaard-Nielsen, Makoto Takeuchi, Kentaro Wakui +4 · 118 citations
Computer Science · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Coherent states #Computer science #Mathematics #Photon #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum computer #Quantum information #Quantum mechanics #Quantum optics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Qubit #Squeezed coherent state #Superposition principle #Variable (mathematics) #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.105.053602
published in Physical Review Letters 105(5), 053602 (American Physical Society) · 5 pages + appendix 5 pages, 4 figures
arxiv created 2010/02/17 · openalex publication_date 2010/07/30 · arxiv updated 2011/04/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In a new branch of quantum computing, information is encoded into coherent states, the primary carriers of optical communication. To exploit it, quantum bits of these coherent states are needed, but it is notoriously hard to make superpositions of such continuous-variable states. We have realized the complete engineering and characterization of a qubit of two optical continuous-variable states. Using squeezed vacuum as a resource and a special photon-subtraction technique, we could with high precision prepare an arbitrary superposition of squeezed vacuum and a squeezed single photon. This could lead the way to demonstrations of coherent state quantum computing.