Photonic Discrete-time Quantum Walks and Applications
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 27, 2025

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
Leonardo Neves1, Graciana Puentes2,3
1Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil.
Abstract:
We present a review of photonic implementations of discrete-time quantum walks (DTQW) in the spatial and temporal domains, based on spatial- and time-multiplexing techniques, respectively. Additionally, we propose a detailed novel scheme for photonic DTQW, using transverse spatial modes of single photons and programmable spatial light modulators (SLM) to manipulate them. Unlike all previous mode-multiplexed implementations, this scheme enables simulation of an arbitrary step of the walker, only limited, in principle, by the SLM resolution. We discuss current applications of such photonic DTQW architectures in quantum simulation of topological effects and the use of non-local coin operations based on two-photon hybrid entanglement.
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
The Wave Nature of Light
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom

