Zeptosecond-Scale Single-Photon Gyroscope

Year: 2024

Authors: Sgobba F.; Triggiani D.; Tamma V.; De Natale P.; Gagliardi G.; Avino S.; Amato L.S.

Autors Affiliation: Italian Space Agcy ASI, Ctr Spaziale Giuseppe Colombo, Local Terlecchia, I-75100 Matera, Italy; Ist Nazl Ott INO, Consiglio Nazl Ric, Via Campi Flegrei 34,Comprensorio A Olivetti, I-80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; Univ Portsmouth, Sch Math & Phys, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, England; Univ Portsmouth, Inst Cosmol & Gravitat, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, England; Ist Nazl Ott INO, Consiglio Nazl Ric, Largo E Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy.

Abstract: This paper presents an all-fiber telecom-range optical gyroscope employing a spontaneous parametric down conversion crystal to produce ultra-low intensity thermal light by tracing-out one of the heralded photons. The prototype exhibits a detection limit on photon delay measurements of 249 zs over a 72 s averaging time and 26 zs in differential delay measurements at t=10(4) s averaging. The detection scheme proves to be the most resource-efficient possible, saturating >99.5% of the Cram & eacute;r-Rao bound. These results are groundbreaking in the context of low-photon regime quantum metrology, holding great promise for astrometry and paving the way to novel experimental configurations to bridge quantum optics with special or general relativity.

Journal/Review: ADVANCED QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES

More Information: V. T. acknowledges support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA8655-23-1-7046). The authors wish to acknowledge Vincenzo Buom-pane and Graziano Spinelli for technical support. Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Nonlinear Interferometry at HeisenbergLimit (NIHL) project (CUP F89J21027890005); This project has received funding from the European Defense Fund (EDF) under grant agreement EDF-2021-DIS-RDIS-ADEQAUDE (n degrees 101103417). Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the au-thor(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them; PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 FESR FSC (Project ARS01 00734 QUANCOM).
KeyWords: Cram & eacute;r-Rao bound; fibre-optic gyroscope; single photon interferometry
DOI: 10.1002/qute.202400166