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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
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Tutorial: Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with structured photons
Tareq Jaouni1, Xuemei Gu2, Mario Krenn2
1Nexus for Quantum Technologies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, ON, Canada.
Nanophotonics (Berlin, Germany)
|November 17, 2025
Summary
The Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is explored for structured photons. This study provides a theoretical analysis and closed-form expressions for HOM visibility under arbitrary spatial mode measurements.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Optics
- Quantum Information Processing
- Photonics
Background:
- The Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is a fundamental two-photon interference phenomenon crucial for quantum optics.
- Existing research primarily focuses on the spectral domain, leaving a gap in understanding HOM effects with structured photons.
- Structured photons, possessing complex spatial profiles, require detailed investigation for advanced quantum applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the HOM effect for structured photons.
- To investigate the behavior of HOM interference under arbitrary spatial mode measurement schemes.
- To derive analytical, closed-form expressions for HOM visibility in various measurement conditions.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of two-photon interference for structured photons.
- Inclusion of arbitrary spatial mode projection in quantum interference calculations.
- Derivation of analytical expressions for HOM visibility.
Main Results:
- A detailed theoretical framework for the HOM effect with structured photons is presented.
- The impact of arbitrary spatial mode measurements on HOM interference outcomes is analyzed.
- Closed-form expressions for HOM visibility are derived for different measurement scenarios.
Conclusions:
- This work bridges the gap in understanding HOM effects for structured photons.
- The derived expressions facilitate the application of HOM interference in quantum information processing with spatial modes.
- The study offers a valuable theoretical resource for researchers in quantum optics and photonics.
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