Experimental verification of differences between classical and quantum polarization properties

• We have carried out polarization measurements on a two-photon quantum state generated by spontaneous parametric down conversion. Our measurements show that the state is unpolarized in the classical theory, but they also show that the state is not invariant under geometric rotation. Therefore, it is not unpolarized in the quantum theory. This is another example of a rather simple experiment that clearly shows the effects of quantum interference. It also confirms the theoretical investigation by Klyshko [Phys. Lett. A 163 (1992) 349]. The experiment is explained theoretically and a systematic treatment of polarization in quantum theory is outlined.

Keyword

quantum polarization

Stokes parameters

Stokes operators

Poincare sphere

photon pairs

parametric down-conversion

stokes parameters

2-photon entanglement

photon pairs

kerr medium

light

states

distributions

fluctuations

operator

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)