Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Physics & Astronomy

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Recent advances in quantum photonics promise transformative impacts on computing, communication, sensing, and imaging. This thesis explores two areas in photonic quantum technology: polarization entanglement dynamics in optical fibers and low-light imaging. Optical fibers are the most suitable medium for photonic qubits and long-distance entanglement distribution is a critical requirement to realize quantum technologies. We study the decay of polarization-entanglement of the Bell state photons propagating through imperfect optical fibers with spatially fluctuating refractive index. Furthermore, to extend the distribution distance, we propose the use of dynamical decoupling in the optical fiber using half waveplates and show that significant improvement in entanglement protection can be achieved even with sparsely spaced half waveplates along length of optical fiber. In the realm of imaging, traditional methods are often limited by noise, especially at low illumination levels necessary for certain applications. Quantum imaging techniques, utilizing non-classical light fields and spatial correlations, have demonstrated enhanced sensitivity. We demonstrate a novel imaging method based on spatial changes in the quadrature variance of an optical field, enabling effective imaging at extremely low light levels. Finally, we explore the use compressed sampling to minimize measurement requirements for image reconstruction in single-pixel imaging.

Date

7-16-2024

Committee Chair

Hwang Lee

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