Higher dimensional quantum communication in a curved spacetime: An efficient simulation of the propagation of the wavefront of a photon

Warner A. Miller, Paul M. Alsing, Doyeol Ahn

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

A photon with a modulated wavefront can produce a quantum communication channel in a larger Hilbert space. For example, higher dimensional quantum key distribution (HD-QKD) can encode information in the transverse linear momentum (LM) or orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes of a photon. This is markedly different than using the intrinsic polarization of a photon. HD-QKD has advantages for free space QKD since it can increase the communication channels tolerance to bit error rate (BER) while maintaining or increasing the channels bandwidth. We describe an efficient numerical simulation of the propagation photon with an arbitrary complex wavefront in a material with an isotropic but inhomogeneous index of refraction. We simulate the waveform propagation of an optical vortex in a volume holographic element in the paraxial approximation using an operator splitting method. We use this code to analyze an OAM volume-holographic sorter. Furthermore, there are analogue models of the evolution of a wavefront in the curved spacetime environs of the Earth that can be constructed using an optical medium with a given index of refraction. This can lead to a work-bench realization of a satellite HD-QKD system.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationQuantum Information Science, Sensing, and Computation X
EditorsEric Donkor, Michael Hayduk
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510618312
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018
EventQuantum Information Science, Sensing, and Computation X 2018 - Orlando, United States
Duration: 18 Apr 201819 Apr 2018

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume10660
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceQuantum Information Science, Sensing, and Computation X 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando
Period18/04/1819/04/18

Keywords

  • analogue gravity
  • curved spacetime
  • geometric optics
  • operator splitting method
  • optical-mechanical
  • paraxial wave equation
  • quantum key distribution
  • volume holography

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