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Updated: Aug 6, 2025

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
Multiphoton non-local quantum interference controlled by an undetected photon
Kaiyi Qian1, Kai Wang2, Leizhen Chen1
1National Laboratory of Solid-state Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
Abstract:
The interference of quanta lies at the heart of quantum physics. The multipartite generalization of single-quanta interference creates entanglement, the coherent superposition of states shared by several quanta. Entanglement allows non-local correlations between many quanta and hence is a key resource for quantum information technology. Entanglement is typically considered to be essential for creating non-local quantum interference. Here, we show that this is not the case and demonstrate multiphoton non-local quantum interference that does not require entanglement of any intrinsic properties of the photons. We harness the superposition of the physical origin of a four-photon product state, which leads to constructive and destructive interference with the photons' mere existence. With the intrinsic indistinguishability in the generation process of photons, we realize four-photon frustrated quantum interference. This allows us to observe the following noteworthy difference to quantum entanglement: We control the non-local multipartite quantum interference with a photon that we never detect, which does not require quantum entanglement. These non-local properties pave the way for the studies of foundations of quantum physics and potential applications in quantum technologies.
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