Photon Phase Delay Sensing with Sub-Attosecond Uncertainty

Year: 2024

Authors: Sgobba F., Andrisani A., Santamaria Amato L.

Autors Affiliation: Italian Space Agcy ASI, Ctr Spaziale Giuseppe Colombo, Local Terlecchia, I-75100 Matera, Italy; Natl Inst Opt CNR INO, Natl Council Res, Via Campi Flegrei N 34, I-80078 Pozzuoli, Italy.

Abstract: The application of statistical estimation theory to Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry led to enticing results in terms of the detection limit for photon reciprocal delay and polarisation measurement. In the following paper, a fully fibre-coupled setup operating in the telecom wavelength region proves to achieve, for the first time, in common-path Hong-Ou-Mandel-based interferometry, a detection limit for photon phase delay at the zeptosecond scale. The experimental results are then framed in a theoretical model by calculating the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) and, after comparison with the obtained experimental results, it is shown that our setup attains the optimal measurement, nearly saturating CRB.

Journal/Review: SENSORS

Volume: 24 (7)      Pages from: 2202-1  to: 2202-18

More Information: We wish to acknowledge Graziano Spinelli for technical support.
KeyWords: Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry; Cramer-Rao bound; phase delay estimation
DOI: 10.3390/s24072202

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