Skip to content

Unbalanced Interferometers beyond Coherence Time

Date: 2024-09-23
Time: 10:00
Venue: M830
Speaker: Zhe Yu Jeff Ou

City University of Hong Kong

Abstract:

Interferometry has been used widely in sensing application. However, the technique is limited by the finite coherence time of the light sources when the interference paths are not balanced. As is well-known, quantum interference relies on measurement processes. The aforementioned requirement of path balance is for traditional intensity measurement from one detector. In this presentation, we consider two different methods: intensity correlation measurement between two detectors and homodyne measurement with a strong local oscillator. We find that they can be used to recover interference which usually does not occur in intensity measurement by one detector. We discuss various scenarios to achieve interference with unbalanced delays in different paths.

Biography: Professor Ou obtained his BS in 1984 from Peking University and Ph.D. in 1990 from University of Rochester. He is now a Chair Professor at the City University of Hong Kong. Professor Ou is an expert in quantum optics, especially in quantum interference, for which he is the co-inventor of the well-known Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer. He pioneered the field of multi-photon interference, which he summarized in the monograph “Quantum Multi-Photon Interference” published by Springer in 2007. Professor Ou’s current research focuses on quantum metrology, quantum sensing, quantum state engineering, quantum information and communication, and more fundamental quantum measurement and quantum coherence problems. Professor Ou an Associate Editor of Optica Quantum, and is a fellow of American Physical Society and of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America).

Inviter: Wuming Liu (82649249)