Building Apparatus for Quantum Optics
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2014
Location
Atrium, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-20-2013 9:00 AM
End Date
4-20-2013 10:00 AM
Disciplines
Physics
Abstract
We have begun assembling apparatus allowing study of fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, via experiments involving single photons. As an initial step, we are assembling components for protection of fiber-optic-coupled detectors with high quantum efficiency. After alignment is completed, we will examine 405nm photons passing through a BBO crystal. Rarely, single photons interacting with this crystal are emitted as a pair of entangled photons with a wavelength twice as long as the incident, blue photons. Only these “down-converted” photons can pass through filters we have added, and so only these 810nm photons will be detected by our single-photon detectors. This system can be extended to run experiments exploring the non-local nature of quantum wavefunctions, e.g., the Grangier experiment, single-photon interference, and the Hardy-Bell experiment.
Building Apparatus for Quantum Optics
Atrium, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
We have begun assembling apparatus allowing study of fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, via experiments involving single photons. As an initial step, we are assembling components for protection of fiber-optic-coupled detectors with high quantum efficiency. After alignment is completed, we will examine 405nm photons passing through a BBO crystal. Rarely, single photons interacting with this crystal are emitted as a pair of entangled photons with a wavelength twice as long as the incident, blue photons. Only these “down-converted” photons can pass through filters we have added, and so only these 810nm photons will be detected by our single-photon detectors. This system can be extended to run experiments exploring the non-local nature of quantum wavefunctions, e.g., the Grangier experiment, single-photon interference, and the Hardy-Bell experiment.